Meryl Streep Says Resurfaced Dustin Hoffman Interview Is Not ''Accurate Rendering'' of Truth

Three-time Oscar winner gave an interview in 1979 in which she said that her Kramer vs. Kramer co-star put his hand on her breast the first time they met

By Meg Swertlow Nov 07, 2017 4:06 AMTags

On Monday, a 1979 Time magazine interview with Meryl Streep was unearthed by Slate in which the three-time Oscar winner recounted a time when her former Kramer vs. Kramer co-star Dustin Hoffman touched her breast on their first meeting.

Many outlets ran with a rehashing of the Time interview, however, a rep for Streep has told E! News that the 38-year-old article is not an "accurate rendering of that meeting."

Streep's rep added, "There was an offense and it is something for which Dustin apologized.  And Meryl accepted that."

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Dustin Hoffman "Sexually Harassed Me When I Was 17," Woman Says
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In the 1979 interview, the beloved actress described auditioning for a play that Hoffman had directed. She recalled the encounter in the piece, "He came up to me and said, 'I’m Dustin—burp—Hoffman,’ and he put his hand on my breast. 'What an obnoxious pig,' I thought."

In the 38 years since the claim, Hoffman has never commented on the "offense," however, when E! News reached out to Hoffman, his rep referred E! News to Streep's comment.

The resurrection of the Streep's old claim comes on the heels of a woman coming forward last week to accuse Hoffman of sexually harassing her when she was 17 and the actor was 47.

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The past has come to haunt Hoffman amid a rise of public accusations of sexual misconduct against several Hollywood celebs and power players, notably producer Harvey Weinstein, who has denied taking part in non-consensual sex.

Streep has yet to comment on her past interview, however, she issued a statement about Weinstein to The Huffington Post via her longtime publicist, saying, "The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported. The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes."

Last week, Anna Graham Hunter alleged that Hoffman had been inappropriate with her while she interned as a production assistant on Death of a Salesman, Hoffman's 1985 TV movie.

The alleged incident is detailed in a Hollywood Reporter op-ed posted on November 1 and titled "Dustin Hoffman Sexually Harassed Me When I Was 17."

"I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am," Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter in response to the accusations against him.