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Paul Sorvino threatens to kill Harvey Weinstein for allegedly blackballing daughter Mira

'If I had known it, he would not be walking. He’d be in a wheelchair,' says Goodfellas actor

Maya Oppenheim
Thursday 04 January 2018 17:12 GMT
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Sorvino, who is also an opera singer and sculptor, heaped praise on his daughter, calling her 'courageous' and 'wonderful'
Sorvino, who is also an opera singer and sculptor, heaped praise on his daughter, calling her 'courageous' and 'wonderful' (Getty Images)

Paul Sorvino has launched into a tirade about Harvey Weinstein after his daughter accused the disgraced movie mogul of sexual harassment.

The Goodfellas actor, who played the role of Paul Vario in the 1990 gangster film, threatened to kill Weinstein if the film producer did not end up in prison.

The actor said he was unaware of the accusations until his daughter Mira Sorvino told the New Yorker what allegedly took place.

"He's going to go to jail. Oh yeah. That son of a b****. Good for him if he goes, because if not, he has to meet me. And I will kill the motherf***er. Real simple,” Sorvino told celebrity news site TMZ.

Referring to the alleged harassment, he said: “If I had known it, he would not be walking. He’d be in a wheelchair.”

Sorvino, who is also an opera singer and sculptor, heaped praise on his daughter, calling her "courageous" and "wonderful”.

He said: "This pig will get his comeuppance. The law will get him. He's going to go to jail and die in jail."

But Sorvino, who plays NYPD Sergeant Phil Cerreta on police drama Law & Order, did calm down towards the end of the interview.

He said: “I’ll just slap him around a little, I won’t do anything terrible”.

This comes after Mira, who starred in several of Weinstein’s films, told the New Yorker that in 1995, Weinstein made her uncomfortable, massaging her shoulders and "chasing" her around.

Speaking to the magazine in October of last year, she also said that Weinstein once showed up at her door after midnight and left only when she told him her boyfriend was coming.

The actor, who rose to fame after winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite, said she believes her career was damaged by the incident.

Her inkling then appeared to be confirmed in December after director Peter Jackson claimed Weinstein blacklisted her and Ashley Judd.

"I recall Miramax [Weinstein's studio] telling us they were a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs. This was probably in 1998," Jackson said of the two actors.

He added: "In hindsight, I realise that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing."

Mira said she "burst out crying" when she read the interview with Jackson.

"There it is, confirmation that Harvey Weinstein derailed my career, something I suspected but was unsure. Thank you, Peter Jackson, for being honest. I'm just heartsick," she said.

She has now heaped phrase on her father since his recent interview dominated headlines.

“My love for my father has only continued to grow since this moment. All the love in my heart,” she wrote on Twitter. “He is the most loving father, the most brilliant actor, the most beautiful operatic tenor, the most talented visual artist- the wisest and most human advice giver, and best Grandpa ever!!”

Prosecutors in Los Angeles are reviewing multiple cases against Weinstein, who produced Oscar-winning films Shakespeare in Love, The English Patient, and The Artist, and has faced allegations of sexual assault but not criminal charges.

Weinstein denies all accusations of nonconsensual sex. ”Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr Weinstein. Mr Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances,“ his spokesperson told The Independent in a statement.

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