Julia Ormond files sexual battery lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein

Published October 04,2023

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Actress Julia Ormond Files Sexual Battery Lawsuit Against Harvey Weinstein

In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, actress Julia Ormond, identified for her position in “Legends of the Fall,” has alleged that disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her in 1995 following a business dinner. According to the lawsuit obtained by Page Six, Ormond, who’s now 58, claims that Weinstein, aged 71, coerced her into discussing a venture at her residence, which was offered to her as a part of a first-look cope with Miramax.

In the lawsuit, Ormond alleges that Weinstein arrived at her residence, the place he allegedly “stripped naked and forced her to perform oral sex on him.” Following the incident, Ormond asserts that she knowledgeable her brokers, Kevin Huvane and Bryan Lourd, about what had transpired. However, she claims that they suggested her in opposition to talking out and failed to guard her subsequently.

Ormond can also be suing Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for negligence and breach of fiduciary obligation. Additionally, she is pursuing authorized motion in opposition to Miramax and the Walt Disney Company for negligent supervision and retention. While Huvane and Lourd, co-chairmen of CAA, are usually not named as defendants within the lawsuit, they’re talked about all through the doc as her representatives throughout that interval.

Ormond alleges that she confronted retaliation for making an attempt to carry Weinstein accountable for his actions and for rejecting his advances. She asserts that after notifying her brokers at CAA in regards to the alleged assault, Miramax terminated its contract together with her. Moreover, she claims within the lawsuit that she was transferred to a much less skilled agent at CAA, main her to finally depart the company.

The lawsuit contends that “the men at CAA who represented Ormond knew about Weinstein. So too did Weinstein’s employers at Miramax and Disney. Brazenly, none of these prominent companies warned Ormond that Weinstein had a history of assaulting women because he was too important, too powerful, and made them too much money.”

Ormond launched a press release following the lawsuit, expressing her want for accountability and systemic change within the trade. She said, “I seek a level of personal closure by holding them accountable to acknowledge their part and the depth of its harms and hope that all of our increased understanding will lead to further protections for all of us at work.”

Weinstein’s legal professional, Imran H. Ansari, issued a press release vehemently denying the allegations made by Julia Ormond and expressing confidence that the proof wouldn’t assist her claims. Ansari famous that this criticism was one other instance of allegations in opposition to Weinstein being raised a long time after the alleged incidents.

In a cellphone interview with Variety, Ormond defined her resolution to come back ahead, citing the necessity for systemic change and accountability for enablers. She emphasised the significance of addressing such points within the trade.

As of now, CAA, Disney, and Miramax haven’t offered rapid responses to requests for remark from Page Six.

Harvey Weinstein, who has confronted accusations from over 100 girls of sexual abuse, is at present serving a 23-year jail sentence for rape and sexual abuse. In February 2023, he acquired a further 16-year jail sentence for convictions associated to forcible rape and sexual penetration of an Italian mannequin in 2013. Weinstein continues to take care of his innocence and is pursuing appeals of his convictions.