Sharon names producer who pressured her to sleep with co-star
What's the story
Basic Instinct actor Sharon Stone has disclosed that the late Hollywood producer Robert Evans pressured her to sleep with her co-star, William Baldwin, during the filming of the 1993 movie Sliver. Stone shared the incident on Louis Theroux's podcast. Earlier, she had made the bombshell revelation in her 2021 memoir but didn't take any names. She claimed that Evans thought if she had sex with Baldwin, that would improve his acting and save the film.
Accusations
This is what Evans allegedly told her
The actor recalled, "He called me to his office. He had these very low '70s, and '80s couches, so I'm essentially sitting on the floor when I should have been on set." "And he's running around his office [explaining] that he slept with Ava Gardner and I should sleep with Billy Baldwin, because if I slept with [him], [his] performance would get better, and we needed Billy to get better in the movie because that was the problem."
Stone's statement
'I was so uptight,' said Stone
She continued, "And if I could sleep with Billy then we'd have chemistry on screen, and if I would just have sex with him then that would save the movie." "And the real problem with the movie was me because I was so uptight, and so not like a real actress who could just f**k him and get things back on track. The real problem was I was such a tight a**e."
Rebutting accusations
Baldwin's response to Stone's accusations
In response, Baldwin posted a lengthy statement on X, threatening to "write a book and tell the many, many disturbing, kinky, and unprofessional tales about Sharon." "Not sure why [she] keeps talking about me all these years later? Does she still have a crush on me or is she still hurt after all these years because I shunned her advances?" he wrote. "I have so much dirt on her it would make her head spin but I've kept quiet."
Twitter Post
Read Baldwin's full tweet here
Not sure why Sharon Stone keep talking about me all these years later?
— Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) March 12, 2024
Does she still have a crush on me or is she still hurt after all these years because I shunned her advances?
Did she say to her gal pal Janice Dickinson the day after I screen tested and ran into them on our… pic.twitter.com/PtgqMC6Sgz
On the professional front
Stone's career struggles after 'Casino'
The Alpha Dog actor also talked about her career struggles after her Oscar-nominated role in Martin Scorsese's 1995 film Casino. Stone said she was labeled "difficult" and never offered a significant role again. She remembered director Francis Ford Coppola warning her that she wouldn't win an Oscar for her performance as Ginger McKenna in Casino because "this room can't hear opera. They don't let us win because they don't want us to take over the system."
Other controversies
Stone's criticism of Hollywood and gender pay gap
Stone believes Hollywood preferred to label her as cold or difficult rather than see her succeed. In 2015, she criticized the gender pay gap in the industry and across all professions, stating, "After Basic Instinct, no one wanted to pay me. I remember sitting in my kitchen with my manager and just crying and saying: 'I'm not going to work until I get paid'. I still got paid so much less than any men."