BOSTON (WP) - Taraji Henson, star of the new action movie Proud Mary, publicly responded on Sunday to news that her manager, Vincent Cirrincione, had been accused of sexually harassing women of colour over two decades.

Henson, in an Instagram post, said the news "shocked, hurt, offended and yet again put professional women in a position to not trust the men they work with".

"Everyone knows how difficult this industry has been for women and my hope is that all of these unspeakable events ignite true change in the treatment of women in this entertainment business," she wrote.

Henson has yet to publicly sever professional ties with Cirrincione, her manager of two decades who has also been her producing partner.

She told The Post last week that she regarded him as a "father figure" who helped her rise in Hollywood. "He totally respected me."

She said he would at times pay for her rent, childcare fees and, later, her son's school tuition."He saw a single mother trying to make her dreams come true, and he nurtured that. He wrote cheques and wouldn't ask for anything in return. It wasn't coming from a creepy place. If anything, it empowered me. Like this man believes in me. I love him for that."

Cirrincione was also Halle Berry's manager for more than 25 years.

The nine women of colour who spoke to The Post said Cirrincione dangled Berry's and later, Henson's, stardom as bait in an effort to get them to comply with his sexual requests.

He told The Post that he accepts responsibility for pursuing sexual relationships but denies allegations that he sought sexual favours in exchange for representing actresses.