Riverdale star Lili Reinhart, known for her vocal stance on mental health issues, came forward this week to talk about her experiences with inappropriate sexual behavior and harassment in the film and television industry.
Reinhart is the latest woman to come forward with her experiences after the fall of disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein has opened the floodgates, with performers feeling more comfortable than ever about discussing their grievances.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“In light of the Harvey Weinstein allegations…I feel the need to share a story of my own personal experience where a man in a position of power over me, used that said power to try and take advantage of me,” Reinhart wrote on Tumblr.
Reinhart, who plays Betty Cooper on The CW‘s hit series, did not name the man with whom she had an experience that she described as “a scene out of a horror movie.”
She said that a much older co-worker once “tried to force himself on me when we were on a date,” and that he would not stop making advances on her until she “physically walked away from the situation before it could get any worse.”
She said that because he had taken her on the date in his own car, she had to drive home with him and convince him not to bring her to his own apartment, adding that the next day, he blamed her for the situation, saying that she led him on.
Reinhart said taht she understood why victims might keep quiet, even for years, when the accuser is someone powerful.
“I was miserable,” she wrote. “And I felt that I needed to keep my mouth shut about the entire situation because 1. I figured no one would believe me and 2. he played a much bigger role in this project than me … he had more power.”
She added that she did not want to be perceived as “dramatic” and “a diva” by reporting the experience at the time.
Like many others who have come forward this week, Reinhart said that she stood with the Weinstein accusers and that she hoped that telling her own story would give other victims strength and normalize the discussion of these kinds of harassment.
