Megan Fox had a 'psychological breakdown' after being sexualised by 'every producer' she worked with
Transformers star Megan Fox said she was driven to a “genuine psychological breakdown” in the early part of her career after she was sexualised by a string of high-powered producers.
The 33-year-old actor admitted she often feels excluded from feminist discussions and said she was speaking out about sexual harassment in Hollywood years before the #MeToo movement took hold.
Read more: Jack Reynor on ‘problematic’ Transformers gag
Fox made the comments in a discussion on Entertainment Tonight with screenwriter Diablo Cody to mark the 10th anniversary of dark comedy Jennifer’s Body.
The actor said she was sexualised by powerful Hollywood men she worked with during the early portion of her career following her breakout role in 2007’s Transformers.
“It wasn't just [Jennifer’s Body], it was every day of my life, all the time, with every project I worked on and every producer I worked with,” she said.
“Objectified is like, it’s not the right word, it doesn’t capture what was happening to me at the time.
“It preceded a breaking point for me, where I had, I think, a genuine psychological breakdown.”
Read more: Stars who were sacked for shocking reasons
Fox said she went through a “dark moment” in the wake of Jennifer’s Body, in which she was frightened to leave the house.
She added: “I didn't want to be seen in public at all because of the fear, and the belief, and the absolute certainty that I was going to be mocked, or spat at, or someone was going to yell at me, or people would stone me or savage me for just being out.”
Fox described herself as being “out and in front” of the #MeToo movement, which was sparked when multiple allegations were made about producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017.
"I was speaking out and saying 'Hey, these things are happening to me and they're not okay’,” she said.
“Everyone was like: 'Oh well, f**k you. We don't care, you deserve it.'
“Because everybody talked about how you looked or how you dressed or the jokes you made."
She said that she feels feminists “don’t want me to be a part of their group” and that this excludes her from conversations about women’s issues.
Read more: Jeremy Piven says he’s “collateral damage” in #MeToo movement
Fox has not appeared in a major film since she portrayed journalist April O’Neil in 2016 sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
In the same year, she temporarily replaced Zooey Deschanel in a lead role on Fox sitcom New Girl during Deschanel’s maternity leave.
She also created Travel Channel docu-series Legends of the Lost, which focuses on archaeology and the history of ancient cultures.
This year, she is due to appear in supernatural romance Above the Shadows and James Franco’s Zeroville.