“Orange Is The New Black” actress Yael Stone has accused Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush of sexual misconduct.
Stone, who plays Lorna on the Netflix series, told The New York Times in a story published Sunday that Rush danced naked in front of her and spied on her in the shower while the two co-starred in an Australian production of “The Diary of a Madman” in 2010 and 2011.
“I remember I looked up to see there was a small shaving mirror over the top of the partition between the showers and he was using it to look down at my naked body,” Stone said.
Stone, 33, also accused fellow Australian Rush, 67, of sending explicit text messages.
Rush, also noted for the films “Shine,” for which he won an Oscar, and “The King’s Speech,” told the Times the allegations “are incorrect and in some instances have been taken completely out of context.”
“However, clearly Yael has been upset on occasion by the spirited enthusiasm I generally bring to my work. I sincerely and deeply regret if I have caused her any distress. This, most certainly, has never been my intention.”
In a clip posted Sunday (see below), Stone told the Australian show “7.30”: “I didn’t advocate for myself. I was just there to serve him. ... I was always treading that line of trying to protect myself but not knowing how ... and never, never wanting to offend him.”
But now she has a different view.
“Whenever women speak up about issues like this, their career generally suffers,” Stone said. “If that happens, I think it’s worth it.”
Stone said she emailed Rush about her feelings when the show ended, but never heard back, the Times reported.
Rush faced previous accusations that he sexually harassed another co-star, Eryn Jean Norvill, in a Sydney Theatre Co. production of “King Lear” in 2015 and 2016. Rush, who denied the allegations, sued the publisher of Sydney’s Daily Telegraph for defamation after it reported the claims.
Stone has secured legal representation in case Rush sues her, the Times noted.