Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein and Disney over sexual assault allegation
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The following article contains allegations of sexual misconduct that some readers may find distressing.
Julia Ormond is suing Harvey Weinstein and Disney over allegations of sexual assault and the company enabling the inappropriate behaviour.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond actress is suing the former film producer and convicted sex offender Weinstein for sexual battery, according to court documents obtained by Variety. Ormond is also suing Creative Artists Agency (CAA), The Walt Disney Company and Miramax.
In a lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court, Ormond alleged Weinstein sexually assaulted her in 1995 following a business dinner. The Legends of The Fall actress claims that following the assault, she informed her agents but they advised her against speaking out.
Ormond is suing CAA for "negligence and breach of fiduciary duty", while Miramax is being sued for "negligent supervision and retention".
The lawsuit claims: "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."
Weinstein has denied Ormond's allegations. His attorney, Imran H. Ansari, shared in a statement: "Harvey Weinstein categorically denies the allegations made against him by Julia Ormond and he is prepared to vehemently defend himself. This is yet another example of a complaint filed against Mr Weinstein after the passing of decades, and he is confident that the evidence will not support Ms Ormond's claims."
A spokesperson for CAA has said the agency will "vigorously refute" her claims in court.
"CAA takes all allegations of sexual assault and abuse seriously and has compassion for Ms Ormond and the experience she described in her complaint. However, the claims that Ms Ormond has levied against the agency are completely without merit," they said in a statement.
Related: Marvel star Gwyneth Paltrow reveals Harvey Weinstein influenced her retirement from acting
"Through counsel, Ms Ormond approached CAA in March with these allegations about the agency. Knowing these allegations to be untrue, the agency then retained attorney Loretta Lynch and her law firm, Paul Weiss, to defend the company. Their review found nothing to support Ms. Ormond's claims against CAA.
"CAA received a demand, through its counsel, from Ms Ormond's attorneys, that CAA pay $15,000,000 in exchange for Ms Ormond not making the allegations against CAA public. CAA immediately rejected this demand. Out of respect for Ms Ormond, CAA shared the results of Paul Weiss's investigation with her, through her counsel, providing evidence of a dynamic and engaged relationship between CAA and Ms Ormond, and the agency's consistent efforts to support her career throughout her time at the agency, from 1995 to 1999."
The First Knight star explained to Variety why she had decided to come forward with her claims: "I am coming forward with my story now publicly because I feel as if we still need systemic change, and I feel that we need accountability from enablers, in order to get there. I feel that this is what happened with me."
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, who work towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland's helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
You Might Also Like
