Actress Jurnee Smollett has remained protective of her image and what projects she gets involved in.
"I'm very aware of the over-sexualization of the Black female body — this perverted fascination that predates me — and so the notion that I would ever contribute to that weighs very heavily on me," said Smollett to The Hollywood Reporter on why she refuses to do nudity.
The over-sexualization of Black women in Hollywood also contributed to the sexual harassment that Smollett has faced growing up in the industry.
"I don't know that I can confidently say that I worked on one job prior to Lovecraft — from the time I was 12 on — where I hadn't been sexually harassed, whether it was by an AD, a co-star, director, producer," said Smollett, who later clarified a few exceptions. "Like, a guy saying before we're about to do this love scene, 'Hey, your tits are going to be hanging in the wind,' is not OK."
Smollett revealed that the harassment on one set was so blatant, she asked to be removed from the project.
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