Carrie Fisher Sent a Cow Tongue to a Predatory Producer — With an Ominous Warning
Carrie Fisher died on Dec. 27, 2016. Her death struck a blow to many women, especially Star Wars fans. She was just as much of a hero to women in real life as she was on the big screen. And, as this oft-told story illustrates, she wasn’t afraid to take on even the most powerful people in Hollywood.
Heather Ross said a producer sexually assaulted her
Unfortunately for many women in Hollywood, sexual assault is something that happens far more often than anyone would like to admit. The #MeToo movement brought a lot of these assaults to light. However, for many women, the shame of the assault often lasts beyond the act itself.
Heather Ross, a woman who works in the entertainment industry as a producer, was one such victim. According to the BBC, Ross was assaulted by a predatory producer in the back seat of a car. Ross went on to say that this producer threatened to have her blacklisted from working in the industry again if she dared to tell anyone about the assault.
“You’ll never make a movie in my town and get the F out of my car,” she recounted.
Ross, however, knew who she could tell: her friend, Carrie Fisher.
She told her friend, Carrie Fisher, about the assault
Even though Ross recounted the incident to the Star Wars actor, she still felt ashamed for what had happened.
“It happened so quickly that I was ashamed of myself, I thought I did something wrong and I kept quiet for years,” she said, according to Marie Claire.
Ross, however, never disclosed the name of her attacker. She did, however, confirm that it wasn’t Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Miramax producer who reportedly harassed such actors as Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, and Kate Beckinsale. She also confirmed that the assailant was an “Oscar winner.”
It didn’t matter who the producer was, though, because, in the end, he got dealt with in a uniquely Carrie Fisher way.
Fisher handled the situation in her own way
About two weeks after Carrie Fisher was informed of her friend’s assault, she decided to take matters into her own hands. The Star Wars actor took a Tiffany box, wrapped a very special present in it, and personally handed it to the producer in question. And she included a very ominous warning in the box.
“It was a cow tongue from Jerry’s Famous Deli with a note that said: ‘If you ever touch my darling Heather or any other woman again, the next delivery will be something of yours in a much smaller box,’” Ross recounted.
Carrie Fisher wasn’t just a legend to women in Star Wars. She was a legend in real life, too.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
