The British actress Julia Ormond, known for appearing in films from the 1990s like “Legends of the Fall,” “First Knight,” and “Smilla’s Sense of Snow,” has accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual battery.
Julia Ormond is suing CAA, The Walt Disney Company, and Miramax in addition to Harvey Weinstein. It is uncommon for business partners who benefited from Weinstein’s work to be included as defendants, accused of enabling his behavior.
Despite the fact that Weinstein has been the target of numerous sexual assault lawsuits since revelations about his alleged misconduct towards many women in the entertainment industry surfaced in The New York Times and New Yorker in 2017, at the time of those publications’ publication.
Lawsuit filed against Ormond mentions sexual assault
According to Variety, Julia Ormond claims in a complaint filed on Wednesday in the New York Supreme Court that Harvey Weinstein sexually attacked her back in 1995.
After a business meal, she alleges that Weinstein tricked her into giving him a massage, jumped on top of her, masturbated, and forced her to have oral sex with him.
Julia Ormond allegedly told her representatives Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane about her interaction with Weinstein after the alleged assault, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that these CAA agents refused to offer her any protection or support while telling her not to speak up. Lourd and Huvane are frequently referred to in Ormond’s lawsuit as her representatives during that time even though they are not named as defendants in the action.
Ormond has sued CAA, claiming carelessness and a violation of fiduciary duty.
Weinstein’s company is being sued for negligence
A lawsuit for irresponsible hiring and supervision has been filed against Miramax, The Walt Disney Company, and various former executives who worked for these businesses.
Although they are not named as defendants, the lawsuit makes reference to others like Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg who held important roles at Disney at the time. It’s important to note that the aforementioned Disney officials are no longer working for the organization.
The lawsuit claims that the male CAA agents who represented Julia Ormond knew about Harvey Weinstein’s inappropriate behavior. Additionally, it asserts that Disney and Miramax knew of Weinstein’s behavior.
Surprisingly, none of these powerful businesses told Ormond about Weinstein’s history of harassing women because they thought he was too important, powerful, and lucrative.
Ormond seeks to make the workplace and Hollywood safe for women
In a phone conversation, Ormond stated that she is coming forward in order to support actions aimed at making Hollywood and workplaces more secure by lowering the incidence of sexual predators.
In a Variety interview, Ormond said that she is now sharing her story publicly because she thinks that systemic reform is still necessary and that facilitators must be held accountable for it. She thinks that her situation reflects this.
Variety has asked Disney and Miramax for comment, but neither party has yet delivered a response. Weinstein, who has been found guilty of rape and has been accused of the crime by more than 100 women over decades, has refuted Ormond’s claims.
Imran H. Ansari, Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer, said in a statement to Variety that his client strongly rejects Julia Ormond’s accusations and is ready to mount a resolute defense.
Ansari underlined that Ormond’s accusations will not be supported by the facts because this is yet another charge against Weinstein that has been made after a long period of time.
Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape and sexual assault in two different trials, and he is currently serving a 23-year jail sentence in New York and a further 16-year sentence in Los Angeles.
The claims made in Julia Ormond’s lawsuit are consistent with a pattern of conduct that other women have accused Weinstein of. Weinstein, though, still maintains his innocence and is working to have both of his convictions overturned.
