Last week, Björk published a statement describing sexual harassment and “constant awkward paralysing unwanted whispered sexual offers” by a director in whose film she once acted. Though Björk refrained from identifying the “Danish director” by name, her only feature film role was in Lars von Trier’s 2000 drama Dancer in the Dark. Von Trier has not addressed the allegations directly, but in a statement to a Danish paper, his business partner Peter Aalbaek Jensen denied that anyone involved with the film mistreated Björk.
Today, the head of Björk’s longtime record label One Little Indian has publicly backed her recollection of events. “I have read the lies written by Lars and his producer Peter about Björk—and feel compelled to speak out and put the record straight,” One Little Indian founder and managing director Derek Birkett wrote on Facebook. “Over the last 30 years the Dancer in the Dark project is the one and only time she has fallen out with a collaborator.” His statement goes on to accuse von Trier of “ongoing, disrespectful verbal and physical abuse which continued after both Björk and myself demanded that he stop.”
Björk joins numerous prominent women speaking out about sexual harassment in entertainment in the wake of public revelations about disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. Read One Little Indian founder Derek Birkett’s full statement below.
