Jennifer Esposito, known for her roles in “Blue Bloods” and “Spin City,” recently opened up about a harrowing experience early in her career involving a “Harvey Weinstein-esque” producer. During an appearance on the She Pivots podcast, Esposito recounted how this unnamed, “notorious, brutal” producer fired her without cause and then actively sabotaged her career.

“He fired me for no reason,” Esposito shared. “He wanted someone else and he got her.” But the producer’s actions didn’t stop there. According to Esposito, he went out of his way to ensure she couldn’t find work elsewhere. “Anybody that called and wanted to hire me, he would tell them, ‘Don’t hire her.’ He said I was a drug addict and that I locked myself in the trailer. None of it was true. I don’t do drugs. Never did.”

The producer’s influence was so pervasive that he even pressured her agency to drop her. “I was moved to the desk of the assistant and then casually pushed out the door,” Esposito said. “I couldn’t get work. I didn’t have an agent or a manager for two and a half years.”

Reflecting on that difficult period, Esposito described it as a “really, really painful time.” She was a young actress with big dreams, and this powerful figure had the ability to crush them. “He literally took my dream and killed it because he could,” she lamented.

Despite the setback, Esposito’s career eventually rebounded. She landed her first role in the 1996 TV movie “The Sunshine Boys” and went on to secure recurring roles in several TV series, including “Spin City,” “Judging Amy,” “Blue Bloods,” “Samantha Who?,” “NCIS,” “The Boys,” and “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens.”

Esposito’s recent directorial debut, “Fresh Kills,” is a testament to her resilience. The film, which she also produced and stars in, was born out of her painful experiences. “I know for a fact that if that didn’t happen with that producer and my road had been easier, I would have never written and directed what I just did,” she said. “Fresh Kills was for the 26-year-old kid who got slaughtered.”

Released on June 14, “Fresh Kills” is available for streaming on hoopla. The film stars Esposito alongside Emily Bader and Odessa A’Zion and has received positive reviews. It follows a loyal woman in a Staten Island-based organized crime family in the late 1980s.

Esposito’s journey from a young actress nearly derailed by a powerful producer to a successful director is a story of perseverance and triumph. Her experience serves as a stark reminder of the challenges many women face in the entertainment industry, but also as an inspiration for overcoming adversity.