REYKJAVIK, ICELAND – Icelandic pop singer Bjork said Sunday she was sexually harassed by a film director, saying she was inspired to speak out by the flood of separate allegations against US producer Harvey Weinstein.

In a post on her Facebook page, the singer-songwriter said she “became aware” that “it is a universal thing that a director can touch and harass his actresses at will and the institution of film allows it.”

The 51-year-old musician, a former leader of The Sugarcubes post-punk group, did not name the film maker, but said he had “a staff of dozens who enabled… and encouraged” his behavior. “When I turned the director down repeatedly he sulked and punished me” and “framed (me) as the difficult one,” she said.

Bjork said she was able to walk away from the incident with her career relatively intact, because she had “no ambitions in the acting world” but said she “worried” for other actresses who did not.

AMAZON CHIEF OUT
Meanwhile, Amazon Studios chief Roy Price was put on an immediate leave of absence Thursday, the company said, following allegations that he harassed a producer and ignored an actress’s claim of a sexual assault by producer Harvey Weinstein.

The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday reported an allegation by Isa Hackett, a producer on one of Amazon.com, Inc.’s shows, that Price had lewdly propositioned her in 2015.

Amazon said in a statement: ”Roy Price is on leave of absence effective immediately. We are reviewing our options for the projects we have with The Weinstein Co.”

Hackett did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not independently confirm the allegation. Price could not immediately be reached independently by Reuters and he declined to comment to the Hollywood Reporter.

Price’s removal creates uncertainty about the studio’s direction when Amazon is investing more on video content than ever before – some $4.5 billion this year. The studio’s Chief Operating Officer Albert Cheng will step in as the interim chief, Amazon said.

Also on Thursday, actress Rose McGowan said on Twitter that she had told Price that she had been assaulted by Weinstein. In tweets directed at Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, she criticized the company for doing business with the Weinstein Co. – Reuters/AFP

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