Uma Thurman Shares Kill Bill Crash Video: “The Cover Up After the Fact Is Unforgivable”

Update (Feb. 8, 9:50 A.M.): Kill Bill producer Lawrence Bender has issued a response to Uma Thurman, sharing a statement with the Hollywood Reporter. “I deeply regret that Uma suffered the pain she has, both physically and emotionally, for all of these years from the accident that occurred on the set of Kill Bill,” he said. “The safety of the professionals who work on the movies I produce is vital to me and I never want to let anyone down.” However, he also asserts that there was no “cover up,” as Thurman claimed. “I never hid anything from Uma or anyone else nor did I participate in any cover up of any kind — and I never would,” he said.

His response arrives two days after Tarantino did a wide-ranging interview with Deadline, addressing the car accident, saying, “It’s the biggest regret of my life, getting her to do that stunt.” The director added that "it was literally my happiest day this year, when Shannon found that footage and sent it over to me and I knew I was going to be able to present it to Uma.” According to Tarantino, he performed the stunt himself before Thurman to make sure it was safe; he disputed any notion that he was furious with her for not wanting to do the stunt herself.

Days after The New York Times published an interview with Uma Thurman in which she alleged that Harvey Weinstein had assaulted her, the actress has shared more of her story on Instagram—specifically, video footage of a devastating car crash on the set of Kill Bill that she had previously shared with the Times, along with more details of what happened after the accident. (Through a representative, Weinstein responded to Thurman’s allegations of assault in the Times—one in Paris and one in England—by saying, “Mr. Weinstein acknowledges making a pass at Ms. Thurman in England after misreading her signals in Paris,” the statement said. “He immediately apologized.”) While the actress praised director Quentin Tarantino—whom she said urged her to drive the car herself despite her misgivings—for giving her the footage despite the damage it could cause him, she did not have any such sentiments for the people she charges with the subsequent “cover up,” including Weinstein.

The New York Times posted video of the crash along with its interview; on Monday, Thurman posted a portion of the clip to her Instagram page in order to “memorialize it’s full exposure in the nyt by Maureen Dowd.” The actress called the circumstances surrounding the accident “negligent to the point of criminality.” According to the Times, Thurman had asked a stunt person to drive the convertible for an iconic Kill Bill scene, after she heard from a teamster that the vehicle might not be performing properly. Tarantino pushed her to drive it herself anyway, and as seen in the footage, Thurman hit a palm tree in the process. Her head slumps backward in the clip; eventually, she is lifted out of the vehicle.

Thurman writes on Instagram, however, that she does not believe there was “malicious intent” on Tarantino’s part before the crash. A legal representative for Tarantino did not immediately respond to V.F.’s request for comment.