Dita Von Teese says 'everybody knew' about Harvey Weinstein

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Dita Von Teese on the Art of Burlesque

The burlesque performer explains the difference between stripping and burlesque.

The most famous stripper in the world has spoken out about disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Since The New York Times detailed the 65-year-old’s alleged misconduct in October 2017, more than 60 women have accused Weinstein of assault and rape.

“I can’t imagine how that must be. The Harvey Weinstein thing… was totally common knowledge” burlesque star Dita Von Teese told The Telegraph Monday. “I’d go to the Cannes Film Festival and everybody knew. He’d invite me to yacht parties, but I didn’t ever have any bad experiences with Harvey. But I also wasn’t trying to be an actress.”

Rose McGowan, who was previously engaged to Von Teese’s ex-husband, shock rocker Marilyn Manson, is one of Weinstein’s accusers. The Times reported the actress, now 44, was paid a $100,000 settlement from Weinstein following a hotel room incident.

But Von Teese, who was fortunate not to encounter Weinstein behind closed doors, has been busy leading a successful career in burlesque. The 45-year-old, who has been disrobing for money since the early ‘90s, told the UK-based publication she has never experienced any kind of abuse on the job.

“I always had a boyfriend that I would drag along, and I always traveled with assistants,” she explained. “I remember someone spiking my drink once, and wondering: 'why am I awake 15 hours later after the show?' Things like that would happen to me occasionally, but nothing that was really bad. I always had very distinctive boundaries. I guess I’ve been lucky.”

Von Teese added, “And, I was my own boss. So I didn’t have to feel obliged to accept jobs. I just dropped a deal to do a project here because I thought, ‘I don’t need this guy breathing down my neck and asking me to go to dinner. I’m not desperate.’”

And while Von Teese has zero plans to slow down, she has been thinking about her future. Not only has she made peace with Manson after she filed for divorce in 2007, but she has also found love again with Disney graphic designer Adam Rajcevich. While she isn’t in a hurry to walk down the aisle again, Von Teese hasn’t ruled out the possibility of becoming a mother.

“I’ve just had my annual exam and the doctor was like, ‘I’m about to deliver a baby to a 51-year-old woman,’” she recalled. “I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ ‘Yeah, things are changing.’ Ok. I’ve got five years left if I want. And I could always adopt.”

Back in 2016, Von Teese told Fox News that despite some initial hesitations, she ultimately hasn’t let her age stop her from pursuing burlesque.

“At one point I was actually thinking about retiring,” admitted Von Teese. “As I got older, I wasn’t sure how long I could continue performing, and people constantly asked me when I was going to stop. But I looked around me and saw women I admired who are older than I am, who are sexy, beautiful and still performing. I felt like I was succumbing to an ageist mentality, so I started thinking about that, as well as all the performers in burlesque… and they’re all over 30!

“I’m not the youngest performer in burlesque. I’m not even the prettiest. I’m not the one with best body. There’s a lot more to burlesque than just being sexy. It’s really all about confidence. It’s about embracing your body for what it is without asking permission.”