Weinstein was 'paternal' towards Jennifer

Los Angeles: Actress Jennifer Lawrence says Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of rape and sexual harassment, was paternal towards her and that she never knew he was a rapist.

Lawrence, 27, says she knew Weinstein since she was 20, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

"He had only ever been nice to me -- except for the moments that he wasn't, and then I called him an a****** and we moved on," Lawrence told Oprah Winfrey.

"He was paternal to me. So I needed a moment to process everything because I thought I knew this guy, and then he was being accused of rape. We all knew he was a dog, we knew he was... a tough guy, a brute, a tough guy to negotiate with. I didn't know he was a rapist," she added.

Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by over 80 women including actresses like Kate Beckinsale, Cara Delevingne, Angelina Jolie, Rose McGowan, Lupita Nyong'o and Gwyneth Paltrow.