In a new interview, Sharon Stone recalled facing a troubling instance of sexual harassment during her early days in Hollywood.
Appearing on Kelly Ripa’s “Let’s Talk Off Camera” podcast Wednesday, Stone became emotional while relating that a former Sony Pictures executive exposed himself to her in the early 1980s, long before her acting career took off with roles in “Total Recall” and “Casino,” among other films.
“I was so excited to wear my special outfit and to meet the head of Sony,” the Oscar nominee said, noting that the exec was “pacing around the office” upon her arrival before proceeding to shower her with compliments about her appearance.
“And then he came walking right up in front of me and he said: ‘But first…’ and he took his penis right out in my face,” she said.
Listen to Sharon Stone’s “Let’s Talk Off Camera” interview below. Her comments about the alleged incident begin around the 34:02 mark.
Stone notably did not identify the executive by name, but said she reacted to his actions by “laughing and crying at the same time.”
“I couldn’t stop because I became hysterical,” she explained. “So, of course, he put [his penis] away and he went through this door behind his desk. I thought he left. ... So I was just sitting there, hysterical, and eventually his secretary came and led me out.”
She went on to note: “This was not the last of many weird experiences like this in my career.”
A Sony Pictures representative did not immediately reply to HuffPost’s request for comment on Stone’s claims.
Stone made her big screen debut as an extra in the 1980 Woody Allen film “Stardust Memories,” and followed that up a year later with her first speaking role in the horror film “Deadly Blessing.” She’d have to wait until 1992 for her breakthrough role opposite Michael Douglas in the steamy thriller “Basic Instinct.”
Stone’s appearance on “Let’s Talk Off Camera” was not the first time she’s shared her experiences with sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry. In her 2021 memoir “The Beauty of Living Twice,” she said several producers suggested she have sex with her male co-stars in order to ensure they’d have “onscreen chemistry” once the cameras rolled.
“I’ve had other producers on other films just come to my trailer and ask, ‘So, are you going to fuck him, or aren’t you? … You know it would go better if you did,’” she said at the time, according to People. “Sex, not just sexuality onscreen, has long been expected in my business.”