James Cameron recalls altercation with Harvey Weinstein: 'I almost hit him with my Oscar'

James Cameron has revealed he nearly got into a fight with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein during the 1998 Academy Awards, when the director won two Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture for Titanic.

"I remember almost getting in a fight with Harvey Weinstein and hitting him with my Oscar," Cameron recalled in an interview with Vanity Fair, revealing the fight was over the treatment of fellow director Guillermo del Toro.

"It was happening on the main floor at the [theater]... and the music had started to play to get back in our seats. The people around us were saying, 'Not here! Not here!'"

Cameron revealed the altercation was over how Weinstein and his production company Miramax treated fledging young director del Toro during the development and release of one of his breakout movies Mimic.

"Harvey came up glad-handing me, talking about how great they [Miramax] were for the artist, and I just read him chapter and verse about how great I thought he was for the artist based on my friend's experience, and that led to an altercation."

Vanity Fair responded to the initial comment with: "In retrospect there are probably a lot of people...." before Cameron finished the sentence: "That would've preferred I had played through on that one."

Weinstein has been accused by more than 80 women of sexual harassment, assault and in some cases rape over a period of around 30 years. Among his accusers are Rose McGowan, Asia Argento, Angelina Jolie, Cara Delevingne and Kate Beckinsale.

The 65-year-old apologised for behaviour that "caused a lot of pain" but has denied any accusations of rape.

Weinstein has since been expelled from numerous Hollywood institutions, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who run the Oscars, and briefly entered rehab for "sex addiction".

The initial allegations were reported by The New York Times and New Yorker, leading to many more being made public, and many more being levelled at other industry figures, including Brett Ratner and Louis CK.

Kevin Spacey is the most notable of the Hollywood names who have also been accused. Initially Spacey was accused of making sexual advances on actor Anthony Rapp when he was just 14 years old, before others came forward.