“I have experienced things”: Meryl Streep Reveals She “Was really beaten up” When She Was “Young and pretty”

Three-time Oscar-winning star, Meryl Streep is not just a name, but a legacy. The acting legend, who remains the inspiration of actors like Penelope Cruz, wasn’t served success on a silver plate. Streep, who continued to rule Hollywood throughout her career spanning over four-decade, got vocal about how she underwent harassment in the industry, including an instance where the on-screen anti-hero Dustin Hoffman slapped her.

Meryl Streep Dealt With Fair Share Of Predators

In a New York Times interview, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, who were promoting the Steven Spielberg-directed The Post back in time, it was the 21-time Academy Award nominee’s voice that overshadowed her Oscar-winning co-star. As the conversation shifted to the subject of “sexual harassment and the post-Harvey Weinstein era”, The Iron Lady actor stunned the interviewer, revealing:

“I have experienced things, mostly when I was young and pretty. Nobody comes on to me [now], but I was really beaten up.”

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Even though Meryl Streep did not admit to being victimized by Harvey Weinstein, who paid off sexual harassment accusers, and is currently serving a  23-year prison sentence, she did express that his “behavior is inexcusable, but the abuse of power familiar”.

Streep did not delve into details but revealed that she had dealt with a fair share of predators as a “young and pretty” actress. As the interviewer pushed her buttons, the Sophie’s Choice actress quoted an incident between her and Hollywood’s A-lister, Dustin Hoffman, who was already facing sexual harassment allegations at the time of the interview.

Meryl Streep Condemned Dustin Hoffman’s Action

The Death Becomes Her actress recalled how during the set of Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Dustin Hoffman slapped her. something she openly admitted following rumors that Hoffman punched Streep during a fight scene to get her in action, taunting her about her boyfriend, John Cazale’s lung cancer diagnosis and death.

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Streep, however, explained in this interview that she too has “inadvertently hurt people in a physical scene”, but there’s a certain amount of forgiveness in that. Calling out on his miserable action, Streep further explained:

 “But this was my first movie, and it was my first take in my first movie, and he just slapped me. And you see it in the movie. It was overstepping.”

The Tootsie actor was facing multiple sexual harassment allegations in 2019, one of which included exposing himself to a 16-year-old girl in a hotel room. Streep, alongside 300 high-profile actresses later published an open letter, pledging her action to a new “anti-harassment initiative”, mentioning, “They will be fixed”. Streep did not quote the names of those who victimized her in the industry.

Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks‘ The Post is available on Amazon Prime.