Julia Ormond Takes Authorized Motion In opposition to Harvey Weinstein and Disney for Sexual Assault

Actor Julia Ormond has filed a lawsuit in opposition to Harvey Weinstein, claiming he sexually assaulted her in 1995. The producer has denied the allegation.

The Sabrina star can also be searching for damages from Disney, Miramax and her former expertise company, who she says failed to guard her from the abuse.

Weinstein is at present serving a 23-year jail sentence for rape. Greater than 80 individuals have made rape and misconduct claims in opposition to the producer, courting again so far as the late Nineteen Seventies.

Ormond — who’s greatest recognized for her roles in 90s movies Battle Knight and Smilla’s Sense of Snow — alleges that her profession by no means recovered after the assault by Weinstein.

The lawsuit claims that Weinstein returned from a enterprise dinner to an condo supplied by the manufacturing firm, the place he “stripped bare and compelled her to carry out oral intercourse on him”.

“That sexual assault on Ormond may have been prevented if Miramax or Disney had correctly supervised Weinstein and never retained him whereas understanding that he was a hazard to the ladies he encountered at work,” states the lawsuit (through the BBC), which was filed on Wednesday (October 4).

Weinstein’s lawyer Imran Ansari advised the Related Press that his shopper “categorically denies the allegations made in opposition to him by Julia Ormond and he’s ready to vehemently defend himself”.

Harvey Weinstein. CREDIT: Getty/ETIENNE LAURENT / POOL / AFP

Ormond can also be suing the Inventive Artists Company (CAA), her former expertise company, which she claims didn’t warn her about Weinstein’s abusive behaviour. She additionally “steered that if she reported Weinstein to the authorities, she wouldn’t be believed, and he would critically injury her profession”.

The lawsuit provides: “Nonetheless worse, not lengthy after Weinstein’s assault on Ormond and her reporting of the assault to them, CAA misplaced curiosity in representing her, and her profession suffered dramatically.

“The injury to Ormond’s profession due to Weinstein’s assault and the aftermath was catastrophic each personally and professionally,” it states, including that she “practically disappeared from the general public eye” because of the alleged assault and retaliation by the defendants.

In a press release issued by Ormond’s attorneys, the British actor stated: “After dwelling for many years with the painful recollections of my experiences by the hands of Harvey Weinstein, I’m humbled and grateful to all those that have risked talking out.”

She stated that the “braveness” of different survivors has “make clear how highly effective individuals and establishments like my expertise brokers at CAA, Miramax and Disney enabled and supplied cowl for Weinstein to assault me and numerous others”.

“I search a degree of non-public closure by holding them accountable to acknowledge their half and the depth of its harms and hope that every one of our elevated understanding will result in additional protections for all of us at work.”

Harvey Weinstein. Credit score: AFP/Getty Photographs

The lawsuit has requested the court docket to award Ormond and unspecified quantity for misplaced wages and “psychological ache and anguish and extreme emotional misery”.

CAA stated they’re taking the allegations of sexual assault critically and “has compassion” for Ormond, however had denied the claims made in opposition to the agency.

“Ms Ormond’s claims in opposition to CAA are baseless, and the company will vigorously refute them in court docket,” the company stated in a press release.

NME has additionally reached out to Disney and Miramax for remark.

In February, Weinstein was sentenced to a further 13 years in jail after being charged with an additional three counts of rape and sexual assault.

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