Harvey Weinstein Reacts After Julia Stiles Says She Felt 'Slimy' Filming His 'Needed' Dance Scene

In a statement released from prison and received by The Daily Beast, Weinstein said, "Julia Stiles is a talented and charismatic actress who naturally connects with audiences. Beyond her acting skills, she’s also a fantastic dancer, which was something fans really wanted at the time."

"I included that scene in Down to You to enhance the film’s appeal, and her chemistry with Freddie Prinze Jr. made it work seamlessly," he explained. "As a filmmaker, I’ve always sought ways to elevate a project, and when I see an opportunity to make a film better, I take it."

He went on to argue, "That same instinct led David O. Russell and me to cast Julia in Silver Linings Playbook, where she once again delivered a standout performance."

Stiles first made her comments about the film, which was hoping to capitalize on its young stars recent successes -- 10 Things I Hate About You for Stiles and She's All That for Prinze.

"It was a time when teen rom-coms were really popular," Stiles said on the Films to Be Buried With podcast. She said that first-time director Kris Isacsson, who also wrote the film, "was a very, very intelligent, capable guy. The script was very good. And then Harvey Weinstein got his hands on it."

She said that it was Weinstein's decision to add the dance scene, with Stiles saying he did so "because of the success of Save the Last Dance and 10 Things I Hate About You, with me dancing on the pool table, [so] he needed to have me dance in the film."

"It was just dumb. 'Let's get her on a pool table and have her [dance].' It wasn't even imaginative. I felt so slimy doing it the whole time. I don't know if it made it into the film but It was annoying. Because I was like, 'Well, this is so cheap, and it's not adding to the story.'"

She called Weinstein's decision a "dumb" attempt to "capitalize on this trend."

The film follows college students Al (Prinze Jr.) and Imogen (Stiles) as they navigate the highs and lows of first love, only to face the challenges of growing up and drifting apart. Through heartbreak -- and, in true rom-com style -- self-discovery, they must decide if their love is strong enough to overcome the realities of adulthood.

Weinstein, the disgraced former film producer, is scheduled for a retrial in New York on April 15, 2025, after his 2020 rape conviction was overturned due to procedural errors.

Despite his declining health, including chronic myeloid leukemia, Weinstein continues to serve a 16-year sentence for a separate rape conviction in California.