Harvey Weinstein has denied Uma Thurman's claims that he tried to sexually assault her in a London hotel room and insists he couldn't have because the pair stayed friends for years after the alleged incident.

In an email to DailyMail.com not long after Thurman's accusations were published by The New York Times, Weinstein's spokesman said it was the first he'd heard of the accusation.

He admitted propositioning the actress in a steam room and said it happened after a 'flirtatious exchange' in Paris which he had 'misread'.

After 'making a pass', he says he apologized immediately and the pair went on to remain friends which she does not deny.

He also pointed to a 'number of images that demonstrate the strong relationship' the pair have shared over the years, adding: 'We wish the New York Times would have published them,' said the spokesman.

Later, after consulting his lawyer, the mogul (again through his representative) threatened legal action and accused Thurman of 'embellishing' the truth.

'Why Ms Thurman would wait 25 years to publicly discuss this incident and why according to Weinstein, she would embellish what really happened to include false accusations of attempted physical assault is a mystery to Weinstein and his attorneys.

'Ms Thurman's statements to the Times are being carefully examined and investigated before deciding whether any legal action against her would be appropriate,' they said.

Harvey Weinstein and Uma Thurman are pictured in January 2016 at a brunch she hosted to promote The Hateful Eight, long before Weinstein's fall from grace. He says it, along with others, is proof that he did not sexually assault her as she claims

'Mr. Weinstein acknowledges making an awkward pass 25 years ago at Ms. Thurman in England after misreading her signals, after a flirtatious exchange in Paris, for which he immediately apologized and deeply regrets.

'However, her claims about being physically assaulted are untrue.

'And this is the first time we have heard those details,' the first statement read.

These pictures tell a completely different story Weinstein representative

It went on: 'There was no physical contact during Mr. Weinstein’s awkward pass and Mr. Weinstein is saddened and puzzled as to "why" Ms. Thurman, someone he considers a colleague and a friend, waited 25 years to make these allegations public, noting that he and Ms. Thurman have shared a very close and mutually beneficial working relationship where they have made several very successful film projects together.

'This is the first time we are hearing that she considered Mr. Weinstein an enemy and the pictures of their history tell a completely different story.

Weinstein, who has been hiding out in Arizona since dozens of women came forward to accuse him of rape, sexual harassment and bullying in October, also shared this photograph claiming it was proof Thurman likes him. It was taken in 2014 with Heidi Klum

Weinstein with Thurman in 2004. She claims she told Quentin Tarantino about the alleged assault and that he confronted Weinstein over it, prompting an apology

HARVEY WEINSTEIN STATEMENT ON UMA THURMAN CLAIMS FIRST STATEMENT 'We have pulled a number of images that demonstrate the strong relationship Mr. Weinstein and Ms. Thurman had had over the years and we wish the New York Times would have published them. 'Mr. Weinstein acknowledges making an awkward pass 25 years ago at Ms. Thurman in England after misreading her signals, after a flirtatious exchange in Paris, for which he immediately apologized and deeply regrets. However, her claims about being physically assaulted are untrue. And this is the first time we have heard those details. 'There was no physical contact during Mr. Weinstein’s awkward pass and Mr. Weinstein is saddened and puzzled as to "why" Ms. Thurman, someone he considers a colleague and a friend, waited 25 years to make these allegations public, noting that he and Ms. Thurman have shared a very close and mutually beneficial working relationship where they have made several very successful film projects together. 'This is the first time we are hearing that she considered Mr. Weinstein an enemy and the pictures of their history tell a completely different story. 'There will be more are detailed response later from Mr. Weinstein’s attorney, Ben Brafman.' SECOND STATEMENT 'Ben Brafman, Mr Weinstein's attorney said that Harvey is stunned and saddened by what he claims to be false accusations by Uma Thurman, someone he has worked closely with for more than two decades. 'Mr Weinstein acknowledges making an awkward pass at Ms Thurman 25 years ago which he regrets and immediately apologized for. 'Why Ms Thurman would wait 25 years to publicly discuss this incident and why according to Weinstein, she would embellish what really happened to include false accusations of attempted physical assault is a mystery to Weinstein and his attorneys. 'Ms Thurman's statements to the Times are being carefully examined and investigated before deciding whether any legal action against her would be appropriate.' Advertisement

Thurman is pictured in New York City on Saturday not long after he claims became public

The star looked sombre as she made her way through the streets of NYC

In her interview, Thurman described how Weinstein allegedly attacked her in London's Savoy hotel sometime between 1994 and 2002.

'It was such a bat to the head. He pushed me down. He tried to shove himself on me.

'He tried to expose himself. He did all kinds of unpleasant things.

'But he didn’t actually put his back into it and force me.

'You’re like an animal wriggling away, like a lizard. I was doing anything I could to get the train back on the track. My track. Not his track,' she said.

Thurman looked focused as she left her apartment shortly after the claims went public

The 47-year-old is the latest in a series of actresses who have accused the shamed mogul of sexual harrassment - which he claims are false

She said she confronted him the next day about it and that even though the pair carried on working together for years afterwards on films including Kill Bill, she never thought of him in the same way.

The Times claimed to have confirmed with Weinstein that he apologized for the incident, as it was described by Thurman, to Quentin Tarantino later.

Weinstein has not broken cover since he fled to Arizona last year as an army of women emerged to accuse him of serial sexual misconduct.

Weinstein has not been seen since October 5 when he fled New York City as the scandal swamped him

He apologized at the time for behavior which he accepted may have been inappropriate but has consistently denied being physically violent or coercive to any of the women, insisting they all consented to whatever encounters they had.

A common claim from the women is that they all stayed silent and remained friends with Weinstein, in some cases later having consensual relations with him, because they feared he would derail their careers if they acted out against him.

A friend who was with Thurman at the time of the London incident said she told him then that Weinstein threatened to ruin her prospects if she spoke out again about him allegedly attacking her.

She went back to the Savoy hotel, where the alleged attack took place, the next day to confront him about it.

They continued working together on Miramax films and were both illustriously successful as a result but she, and others who the Times spoke to, said her private opinion of him changed.

Among the photographs Weinstein's representative pointed out were photographs taken as recently as 2016.

Many of the actresses who have accused him of misconduct were photographed with him long after the alleged attacks.