inglourious basterds

Diane Kruger Defends Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds Conduct: ‘He Treated Me With Utter Respect’

Kruger. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Diane Kruger defended her Inglourious Basterds director Quentin Tarantino on Tuesday, saying that she had only a pleasant experience working on the film. When fellow Tarantino star Uma Thurman spoke to the New York Times over the weekend, she accused Harvey Weinstein of attacking her, and of burying footage of a life-threatening car wreck on the set of Kill Bill. The Times piece also reported that Tarantino spat in Thurman’s face and choked her himself for specific scenes. In a long interview with Deadline following the Times report, Tarantino responded to the allegations about his conduct on set, describing a time during filming Basterds when he explained to Kruger exactly why he had to choke her himself so it looked realistic.

Kruger responded to the interview by posting a statement on Instagram. She said that she empathizes with Thurman and other victims of abuse, adding, “For the record however, I would like to say that my work experience with Quentin Tarantino was pure joy. He treated me with utter respect and never abused his power or forced me to do anything I wasn’t comfortable with.”

Diane Kruger: Working With Quentin Tarantino Was ‘Pure Joy’