Christine Haveford
The stories of sexual harassment and assault pouring out of Hollywood are shocking to say the least.
The men and women who have come forward to out these powerful predators are truly courageous.
The latest allegation to arise concerns Halle Berry’s former manager Vincent Cirrincione.
The Oscar winner is said to be ‘livid’ over reports that Cirrincione used her name to ‘lure and manipulate’ vulnerable women of color.
The white Hollywood agent has helped a number of minority women like Berry and Taraji P. Henson achieve stardom.
He is now being accused of sexual harassment by nine different women.
Three women have alleged that Cirrincione demanded sex as a condition for him agreeing to represent them.
Another woman claims she was told he would further advance her career if she agreed to monthly sex sessions with him.
Another accuser says Cirrincione masturbated in front of her during a meeting in his office.
The appalling accusations which were made by eight African Americans and one Asian American.
These women spoke out to The Washington Post.
The accusers say the harassment and unwanted sexual advances took place over the course of two decades.
It is being alleged that Cirrincione took advantage of young, vulnerable women of color eager to make it in an industry that is very difficult for minorities to break into.
Cirrincione responded to the allegations by releasing a statement.
He admitted pursuing sexual relationships with a number of women, but denies requiring sex as a condition for representing them.
‘We live in a time where men are being confronted with a very real opportunity to take responsibility for their actions. I support this movement wholeheartedly,’ Cirrincione said in a statement.
‘I have had female clients and employees my entire career in this industry. I have built a reputation for advancing the careers of women of color.’
‘I have had affairs while in committed relationships, ones I am now ashamed to say are coming to light and shading my past and my reputation.’
‘I can say without a doubt that I have never used favors, sexual or otherwise, as a reason for managing anyone. I want to make it clear that not one of those relationships were anything but consensual.’
Flynet
‘I take responsibility for my part in the situation and I am not here to diminish anyone’s feelings or experiences.’
‘I apologize to these women, my past and present partner, my clients and employees for the pain this is bringing them.’
‘I was under the impression I was living my life as a supportive man to women. It is with a heavy heart that I see now I was wrong.’
Three women went on the record for the Post, while most of the accusers chose to remain anonymous.
Letha Remington is one of those women who chose to go public.
In 1993 she was a stage actress trying to make it big in show business.
She met Cirrincione at his office, which at the time was based in a New York City apartment building. Remington was keen for Cirrincione to represent her and help her career.
During their third meeting in his office, Remington said the agent began caressing her shoulders.
He allegedly told her that he was lonely because his wife at the time was working night shifts as a nurse.
When Remington made clear she had no interest in him sexually, the agent allegedly told her he could not represent her.
‘It made me feel like I had to be clever enough to maneuver around that and get the opportunity that I needed to make it on my own talent, not on sleeping with somebody,’ Remington said.
Another woman called Tamika Lamison described an encounter with Cirrincione in a hotel suite in June 1996.
At the time she was a 27-year-old stage actress living in New York City. She says she was introduced to Cirrincione at the Tony Awards dinner.
Laminson was excited about working with Cirrincione because of his role in catapulting Halle Berry into the A List.
At the hotel suite, Cirrincione’s phone rang. Lamison said it was Berry on the other end of the call.
Cirrincione put the phone on speaker and Lamison listened to the conversation.
Getty
After the phone call, Lamison started to recite a poem she had written.
It was then she claims, midway through the poem, Cirrincione grabbed her and started kissing her. The manager allegedly stuck his tongue in her mouth.
Lamison said Cirrincione offered to take her on as a client – on condition that she make herself available to him sexually whenever he wanted.
Lamison said she pushed Cirrincione away and left.
In 2011, another aspiring actress, Peppur Chambers, was invited by Cirrincione to his home.
She approached him about producing her show, Brown Betties, a burlesque group which she created.
As they sat on the couch watching television, Chambers alleged Cirrincione tried to kiss her.
She managed to quickly turn away – with his lips landing on her head.
‘In my head, I was like: “This is dumb. Why am I even here?”’ Chambers said.
Getty
‘I remember feeling like I’m going to take this for the team. You feel like you’re selling your soul for what you want.’
After he agreed to invest as an executive producer of her dinner theater cabaret, Chambers, 47, said she felt obligated to continue meeting him for a period of at least four months.
Getty
Six of the accusers said that as a result of their experiences with Cirrincione, they either abandoned their acting careers or took extended breaks from the business.
They said the manager destroyed their self-confidence and sense of self-worth.
Cirrincione is said to have tried to persuade many women to become his client by pointing to his track record with stars like Berry and Taraji P. Henson.
One accuser said he told her that she reminded him of Berry when she started out.
‘Of course that was like your dream to have Halle Berry’s manager say, “Oh, my God, you remind me of Halle”,’ said the woman.
An anonymous woman says she auditioned for Cirrincione to be represented by his agency.
He told her he wasn’t quite ready to be represented by his agency, though he did say he would arrange for her to get new headshots.
He also said he would introduce her to other people who could help her career – on condition that she sleep with him once a month, she alleged.
‘He said it so matter-of-factly, like we were just going to get coffee,’ she said.
The woman, who now works as a fashion blogger, said the agent called her a week later and apologized.
Cirrincione also asked her to ‘forget what we talked about’, she said.
Mark Von Holden/Variety/REX/Shutterstock
Another actress made similar allegations. She said she met Cirrincione at a Los Angeles premier party for Hustle & Flow, a movie starring Henson.
The accuser, who was 36 at the time, said that during her audition for the agent, he told her that he would sign her.
As part of their business arrangement, he would help advance her career, though she would have to sleep with him, the woman alleged.
The actress, who had no television or film credits to her name, told him she was not interested.
Halle Berry has responded to the allegations on social media:
“Yesterday I was saddened by the (allegations) against my former manager, Vincent Cirrincione, but today I’m sick after reading the horrifying detailed accounts of his abuse toward 9 women,” she tweeted.
“I’m livid that he used me, and the role model he helped me become, to lure and manipulate innocent, vulnerable women of colour for his predatory actions.”
She closed the tweet with a promise of solidarity with the accusers and other women.
“I’m deeply hurt and I want these women and countless others to know I see you. I hear you. You matter. I will fight for you.”
Comments
Loading…