Actress Asia Argento, an accuser of Harvey Weinstein and champion of the #MeToo movement, spoke out two days after The New York Times reported she’d arranged to pay actor Jimmy Bennett hush money following claims she sexual assaulted him when he was 17. In a statement to journalist Yashar Ali, Argento said the allegations are “absolutely false” and she “never had any sexual relationship with Bennett.” She acknowledged that then-boyfriend Anthony Bourdain paid nearly $400,000 to Bennett, but claims Bennett was taking advantage of the couple for financial gain. NBC’s Stephanie Gosk reports for TODAY.Aug. 22, 2018
