Natasha Henstridge details day Brett Ratner allegedly sexually assaulted her
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Natasha Henstridge spoke out about director Brett Ratner allegedly sexually assaulting her back in the 1990’s. (Reuters)
Natasha Henstridge, who was one of the women named in the Los Angeles Times' exposé regarding Brett Ratner’s alleged sexual misconduct, detailed the day the director reportedly assaulted her.
Henstridge, 43, told the Los Angeles Times Ratner forced her to give him oral sex when she 19 years old in the early 1990s.
Henstridge said she was trying to leave his apartment in Manhattan when he blocked her from going. “The Whole Nine Yards” actress said Ratner began to masturbate and then forced her to perform oral sex on him.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“He strong-armed me in a real way. He physically forced himself on me,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “At some point, I gave in and he did his thing.”
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Henstridge told the Daily News the incident occurred near where she lived at the time in New York City.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I remember I ran home crying, so it was just within a few blocks,” she told the Daily News.
Brett Ratner has been accused of sexual misconduct by six women. (Reuters)
Henstridge said the incident left her feeling “helpless, sad and responsible.”
"At the time it happened, I was a model, living in that world where there was an emphasis on sex appeal and beauty, and as a kid, part of me felt I was deserving of what happened," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The actress said she did not consider going to police and instead, pushed the alleged assault to the back of her mind.
The “Species” actress said she was afraid to reveal her experience with Ratner at first but described the article’s release as “cathartic.”
"For weeks, I struggled with speaking up. Then at one point, I thought (the article) wasn't going to come out because of legal pressure. And as afraid as I was, I then felt more afraid it wouldn't publish. So I'm feeling relieved in that way," Henstridge said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Olivia Munn claimed Brett Ratner sexually harassed her. (AP)
"I'm sure I will get to that place of peace eventually," she said. "I'm so grateful (to the other accusers). It helps you realize you're not the only one. And there is power in numbers."
Other women who came out to accuse Ratner of sexual misconduct were actresses Olivia Munn, Jamie Ray Newman, Katharine Towne, Jorina King and model Eri Sasaki.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ratner’s lawyer, Marty Singer, said the “Rush Hour” director “categorically disputed” the allegations made by the women.
"I have represented Mr. Ratner for two decades, and no woman has ever made a claim against him for sexual misconduct or sexual harassment," Singer told the Los Angeles Times. "Furthermore, no woman has ever requested or received any financial settlement from my client."
Following the allegations, Ratner sued a woman who claimed he raped her and “stepped away” from Warner Bros.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"In light of the allegations being made, I am choosing to personally step away from all Warner Bros.- related activities," Ratner said in a statement. "I don’t want to have any possible negative impact to the studio until these personal issues are resolved."