James Cameron Says He Nearly 'Clocked' Harvey Weinstein With An Oscar Over Guillermo Del Toro Treatment

You think Chris Rock waiting a whole year to unload on Will and Jada Pinkett Smith is impressive?

James Cameron kept his near-violent Oscar moment a secret for 25 years, but alas, we finally get the scoop.

Cameron claimed he nearly sank disgraced ptoducer Harvey Weinstein after his 1998 Oscar win for Titanic because of his poor treatment of pal and fellow director Guillermo Del Toro.

Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter Del Toro told him a story that didn't sit well with the Oscar-winning director.

"He had told me the horrible sh*t that Miramax pulled on him when he made his first American commercial film, 'Mimic,' and they fired him."

"The actors, led by Mira Sorvino, kind of revolted and wouldn't work until they brought him back."

"Then, when the film was successful and well regarded, Harvey sort of jumped up to take praise for the movie."

After Cameron's Titanic win at the Oscars—literally while returning to his seat after his acceptance of the award—Weinstein tried to recruit him. But Cameron was having none of his "bullsh*t."

He revealed:

"I'm on my way back to my seat with my editing Oscar, and this guy's jumping up to introduce himself, saying, 'If you want to come to work at a place that's a friend of the artist, a friend of the filmmaker...'."

"He's holding his hand out, and I just blew him off. It was just an ugly little moment."

"But, yeah, I did defend Guillermo and I called Harvey on his bullsh*t, and then he got very loud and verbally abusive and almost potentially physically violent."

Cameron finished:

"And he was about to get clocked by an Oscar—which wouldn't have been highly appropriate, I think."

People on social media didn't blame Cameron at all, and some kind of wished he went through with it.

UPROXX/Facebook

UPROXX/Facebook

The A.V. Club/Facebook

The A.V. Club/Facebook

The A.V. Club/Facebook

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The A.V. Club/Facebook

The A.V. Club/Facebook

Cameron shared that in retrospect, the reaction by the audience was just as entertaining as his interaction with Weinstein.

"The hysterical thing about the whole moment was people around us were saying, 'Not here! Not here!'"

"It was kind of like, 'It's OK if you boys fight out in the alley, but don't do it here at the Academy Awards!'"

Good point - Cameron might have also faced a 10-year ban. 👀