Ellen Barkin has claimed she was assaulted by a famous actor.

Ellen Barkin

Ellen Barkin

The 66-year-old actress recalled how she met one of her "heroes" in the early days of her own career and was left "heartbroken" when he "tried to molest" her and proved he wasn't as "great" a person as his work suggested.

The 'Big Easy' star tweeted: "When I was about 25 and just starting my career I met one of my acting heroes at a small dinner party. He tried to molest me. I was heartbroken. I get it. #FallenIdols.

“My point being I believed this towering actor would be as great as his art. I walked home crying.(sic)"

Ellen opening up on her own experience comes shortly after the 'Sea of Love' star - who was previously married to Revlon tycoon Ronald Perelman and actor Gabriel Byrne - praised Evan Rachel Wood after the 'Westworld' actress spoke out earlier this week to accuse her former fiance Marilyn Manson of grooming her as a teenager and abusing her for years.

Tweeting after Evan and four other women spoke up to accuse the 52-year-old rocker - whose real name is Brian Warner - of abuse, she wrote: "Marilyn Manson’s abuse was no secret to the entertainment industry as they continued to raise him up … Until one woman said his name out loud. That’s strength. Thank you #EvanRachelWood Let’s clean this shit up. No more #BadMenRising.(sic)"

Manson has branded the allegations against him "horrible distortions of reality" but has been dropped by his record label and talent agency and also lost his role in 'American Gods' as a result of the scandal.

Evan had previously spoken about being abused by a former partner but had never named her alleged abuser in public until this week.