Over the weekend, Björk opened up about an experience of her own with harassment and abuse, claiming that a Danish film director had "enabled" and "encouraged" it while she was on set. Now, the artist has gone into deeper detail about what allegedly happened.
"It feels extremely difficult to come out with something of this nature into the public," she wrote in a Facebook post, "especially when immediately ridiculed by offenders. I fully sympathise with everyone who hesitates, even for years. But i feel it is the right time especially now when it could make a change."
Her statement then lists "encounters that I think count as sexual harassment," which includes the director touching and hugging her without consent. Upon telling the person to stop after two months, he "exploded and broke a chair in front of everyone on set...then we all got sent home."
Björk also mentions that "constant awkward paralysing unwanted whispered sexual offers from him with graphic descriptions" came from the director too, "sometimes with his wife standing next to us." He also allegedly "threatened to climb from his room´s balcony over to mine in the middle of the night with a clear sexual intention , while his wife was in the room next door."
"This was what finally woke me up to the severity of all this and made me stand my ground," she continued, also citing "fabricated stories in the press about me being difficult."
She continued, "I didnt comply or agree on being sexually harassed. If being difficult is standing up to being treated like that, I'll own it."
You can read her full statement below.
While she hasn't named the director in question, many believe it to be Danish director Lars Von Trier, whose 2000 film Dancer in the Dark starred Björk. He denied the allegations yesterday (October 16) in a Danish newspaper, saying that she delivered "one of the greatest performances in my movies."
Björk is set to deliver her new album Utopia next month.
"It feels extremely difficult to come out with something of this nature into the public," she wrote in a Facebook post, "especially when immediately ridiculed by offenders. I fully sympathise with everyone who hesitates, even for years. But i feel it is the right time especially now when it could make a change."
Her statement then lists "encounters that I think count as sexual harassment," which includes the director touching and hugging her without consent. Upon telling the person to stop after two months, he "exploded and broke a chair in front of everyone on set...then we all got sent home."
Björk also mentions that "constant awkward paralysing unwanted whispered sexual offers from him with graphic descriptions" came from the director too, "sometimes with his wife standing next to us." He also allegedly "threatened to climb from his room´s balcony over to mine in the middle of the night with a clear sexual intention , while his wife was in the room next door."
"This was what finally woke me up to the severity of all this and made me stand my ground," she continued, also citing "fabricated stories in the press about me being difficult."
She continued, "I didnt comply or agree on being sexually harassed. If being difficult is standing up to being treated like that, I'll own it."
You can read her full statement below.
While she hasn't named the director in question, many believe it to be Danish director Lars Von Trier, whose 2000 film Dancer in the Dark starred Björk. He denied the allegations yesterday (October 16) in a Danish newspaper, saying that she delivered "one of the greatest performances in my movies."
Björk is set to deliver her new album Utopia next month.
