Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment row: Pamela Anderson says women 'knew what they were getting into'

Hollywood actress Pamela Anderson has responded to claims that she was victim blaming when she suggested Harvey Weinstein’s accusers “knew what they were getting into”. The 50-year-old Baywatch star has clarified her comments, insisting that she was not blaming those who have accused Weinstein, but stands by her claims that women “must be aware” of their surroundings. [caption id=“attachment_4238439” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Pamela Anderson (left); Harvey Weinstein (right). Images via Facebook[/caption] Anderson told tmz.com, “This is not victim blaming. [Weinstein is] a sexist pig and a bully. [But] there are a lot of self-protection courses. There is even a well-known story of suffragettes learning martial arts. Women [must be] aware of certain problems and how to spot them and fight them.” Anderson defended her comments further by refusing to apologise. She added, “It is totally hypocritical to ignore this …[I] will not get coerced into apology.” Earlier this week, on 30 November, Anderson was interviewed by the Today show host Megyn Kelly where she spoke about the most talked-about subject in Hollywood — sexual harassment and especially Harvey Weinstein. This week, in a fresh set of allegations, Weinstein was accused of luring a woman into a hotel room. While speaking to Kelly, Anderson was asked if she was surprised at all by the complaints made against Weinstein. The Independent quotes Pamela as saying, “No. It was common knowledge that certain producers or certain people in Hollywood or people to avoid, privately. You know what you’re getting into if you’re going into a hotel room, alone.” On being informed that the meetings of the complainants were scheduled by their agents and that they had hardly anything to do with the venue or time, the Baywatch actor briskly replied that those women should have gone to the meetings along with their agents. “That’s what they should have done. Sent somebody with them. I just think there’s easy ways to remedy that. That’s not a good excuse,” she said. Earlier in another interview with The Times Anderson had accused Weinstein of being “intimidating”, as reported by another article by The Independent. In her conversation with Kelly, she added how she was offered houses, cars, and money by powerful men in exchange for unjust barters which made no sense. “When I came to Hollywood I had a lot of offers to do private auditions and things that just made absolutely no sense,” she said. “Just use common sense. Don’t go into a hotel room alone. If someone answers the door in a bathrobe, you know, leave. Things that are common sense. But Hollywood is very seductive,” she further said. While recalling her confrontations with Weinstein, Pamela highlighted, “He told me I’d never work in this town again because I refused to work with a dog. He’s so intense. I’ve never been talked to that way by anybody. Not even by a boyfriend. He was really intimidating. And I did it. But I did it without the dog.” (With inputs from IANS)