Sex and the City actor Gilles Marini says he became a 'piece of meat' for Hollywood executives
Actor said male victims of rape or abuse were reluctant to come forward because of social stigma
Sex and the City actor Gilles Marini has opened up about his experience of unwanted sexual advances in Hollywood in the midst of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
Marini, who played Samantha Jones's [Kim Cattrall] attractive neighbour Dante in Sex and the City: The Movie, said that he was approached by "extremely powerful people" after appearing in the film.
"I became a piece of meat for many executives in Hollywood," he told People.
"I didn't see many men use the hashtag #MeToo," he added, referring to the viral hashtag used by sexual assault victims on social media. "And the reason is because it's a stigma, it's a shame, you lose your manhood.
"When a young man is affected by being raped, or sexually harassed, or touched... you will never hear [about it] but those people exist."
After revealing that he had been propositioned "many times" by Hollywood executives during and after his stint on Sex and the City, Marini noted that sexual misconduct affects all industries, and not just the film business.
"It's a worldwide thing," he said, and added: "It involved women, but it also involves a lot of men. These men will never come out, and it's sad."
Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex. He is currently under investigation by police in Los Angeles, New York, London and Beverly Hills.