## Katherine Kendall: Escaping Harvey Weinstein Was a “Cat-and-Mouse Game”

The fallout from the Harvey Weinstein scandal continues to reverberate, with the disgraced producer’s actions sparking a global conversation about sexual harassment and abuse in the entertainment industry and beyond. As more women come forward with their stories, the sheer scale of Weinstein’s alleged misconduct is becoming tragically clear.

Recently, actress Katherine Kendall shared her harrowing experience with PBS NewsHour, detailing a disturbing encounter with Weinstein in 1993. Kendall, then a 23-year-old aspiring actress, recounted how a seemingly promising meeting at Miramax turned into a terrifying ordeal.

According to Kendall, Weinstein invited her to his apartment after a film screening, under the pretense of retrieving something. Once inside, the atmosphere shifted. He began by engaging in conversation about art and movies, appearing to treat her as an equal. However, the situation quickly escalated.

“At one point, then, he got up to go to the bathroom. And he came back in a robe and asked me to give him a massage,” Kendall explained. When she refused, Weinstein returned from the bathroom completely naked, leaving her feeling “disoriented” and “scared.”

Kendall described the ensuing moments as a “cat-and-mouse game,” where she desperately tried to find a way to escape. Trapped in the apartment with Weinstein, she felt physically intimidated. He then asked her to show him her breasts, an act she found extremely humiliating.

While Kendall ultimately managed to leave the apartment, the experience left her deeply shaken. “Even though I got away, I felt like something had still… like something horrible had just happened to me,” she confessed.

In the aftermath, Kendall felt shame and internalized the experience, a common reaction among survivors of sexual assault. “The just me feeling that this is my fault, this must have only happened to me, there’s something wrong with me, is so common when someone perpetrates against you,” she said.

Like many women, Kendall remained silent for years, fearing backlash and lacking confidence that she would be supported. However, the courage of other actresses, like Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan, speaking out empowered her to finally share her story. The reporting of journalists like Jodi Kantor at *The New York Times*, who pursued the Weinstein story despite the difficulties, gave her hope that change was possible.

“This is a turning point,” Kendall declared. “I don’t want to be the one that stays silent. I want to stand beside them.”

Kendall’s story is a stark reminder of the power dynamics at play in Hollywood and the long-lasting impact of sexual harassment and abuse. By speaking out, she hopes to empower other survivors and contribute to a culture where such behavior is no longer tolerated.