Björk elaborates on experience with Danish director after being “ridiculed” for speaking out

Bjork for Crack Magazine by Felipe Santiago

The artist has documented a number of situations in which she was harassed

Last week, Björk posted a statement to her Facebook page, in which she wrote about her experience of sexual harassment with a Danish director. After turning him down, he allegedly “sulked and punished me and created for his team an impressive net of illusion where i was framed as the difficult one”. She also stated that it’s a “universal thing that a director can touch and harass his actresses at will and the institution of film allows it”.

While the director’s identity was undisclosed, it’s been speculated that the Danish director is Lars von Trier, who worked with the artist on Dancer in the Dark, released in 2000. He’s since denied the allegations to Danish publication Jylland Posten, claiming that that’s “not the case”, and his business partner, Peter Aalbaek Jensen, added that they “were victims”. Jensen said, “That woman was stronger than both Lars von Trier and me and our company together.”

Björk has now followed up her first post with another, in which she provides fans with a “more detailed description” of her experience after being “ridiculed by offenders”.

“1 after each take the director ran up to me and wrapped his arms around me for a long time in front of all crew or alone and stroked me sometimes for minutes against my wishes,” she listed. “2 when after 2 months of this i said he had to stop the touching , he exploded and broke a chair in front of everyone on set . like someone who has always been allowed to fondle his actresses . then we all got sent home”.

She added, “3 during the whole filming process there were constant awkward paralysing unwanted whispered sexual offers from him with graphic descriptions , sometimes with his wife standing next to us”.

The director also allegedly “threatened to climb from his room´s balcony” over the Björk’s room “in the middle of the night with a clear sexual intention , while his wife was in the room next door”. The artist said that she escaped to my friend’s room.

Furthermore, she addresses the reported story of her having ripped off a blouse she didn’t want to wear on set, back in 2000. Reports at the time claimed she ate shreds of the blouse before she left the set. Björk writes, “5 fabricated stories in the press about me being difficult by his producer . this matches beautifully the weinstein methods and bullying . i have never eaten a shirt . not sure that is even possible”.

She further reiterates, “6 i didnt comply or agree on being sexually harassed . that was then portrayed as me being difficult . if being difficult is standing up to being treated like that , i´ll own it”.

The post has been created as the artist feels “it is the right time especially now when it could make a change”. Read the full statement below.