Jennifer Lawrence "Deeply Disturbed" to Hear About Harvey Weinstein's "Behavior"

"My heart goes out to all of the women affected by these gross actions," the actress says

Jennifer Lawrence has joined the chorus of celebrities speaking out against Harvey Weinstein amid allegations that he sexually assaulted multiple women over the course of several decades.

Echoing peers Jessica Chastain, Glenn Close, Judi Dench, Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet, the actress distanced herself from Weinstein, who produced her Oscar-winning movie Silver Linings Playbook. "I was deeply disturbed to hear the news about Harvey Weinstein's behavior. I worked with Harvey five years ago and I did not experience any form of harassment personally, nor did I know about any of these allegations. This kind of abuse is inexcusable and absolutely upsetting," Lawrence told E! News in a statement. "My heart goes out to all of the women affected by these gross actions. And I want to thank them for their bravery to come forward."

Until The New York Times published its bombshell exposé late last week, the actress had enjoyed a positive working relationship with Weinstein. At the 2013 Golden Globes, for example, she joked about his famous temper, saying in her acceptance speech, "Harvey, thank you for killing whoever you had to kill to get me up here today." And after she forgot to thank him in her 2013 Oscars speech, she issued a statement expressing her gratitude. "Harvey Weinstein: You championed this movie and its story from early days," she said. "Your passion and unyielding support gave this film the opportunity to thrive and touch so many people."

Later that year, while co-presenting at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, Lawrence congratulated Weinstein on the birth of his son. "Harvey gave us just what we needed—another him," she joked. "If he's anything like his dad, he's going to be relentless, passionate, and just about the best mentor an aspiring actor could ever hope for." Weinstein replied, "Thank you, Jen—but you can stop kissing up to me for forgetting to thank me at the Oscars."

After the allegations came to light, Weinstein announced plans to take a "leave of absence," telling E! News, "I appreciate the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I'm trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go." The movie mogul said he would be taking time off to "deal with this issue head-on," but on Sunday, The Weinstein Company announced it had terminated him, "effective immediately."

In a statement given to E! News last week, Weinstein's attorney, Charles J. Harder, said the article by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey is "saturated with false and defamatory statements." The New York Times stands by their reporting, a spokesperson for the newspaper told E! News.