Actress Julia Ormond filed a lawsuit Wednesday in the state Supreme Court in Manhattan, accusing Harvey Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in 1995.
Ormond accused Weinstein of committing sexual battery against her following a business meeting and said she confronted him about the incident a few weeks later, according to The Associated Press (AP). She alleged Weinstein then retaliated against her by negatively affecting her career.
Ormond also named the Creative Arts Agency, Miramax and Disney as enablers in her lawsuit, per The AP. Ormond reportedly claimed they knew Weinstein posed a danger to women, but didn’t do anything about it.
Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein for sexual assault, claims Miramax and Disney knew he was ‘a danger’ https://t.co/YF9WypiG3S
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 5, 2023
Ormond claims to have reached out to her agents at the time, Creative Arts Agency, but said they failed to offer support and advised her against taking further legal steps, per The AP.
The actress was able to file litigation against the disgraced movie producer under the Adult Survivors Act. Passed in 2022, the law allows a temporary window for sexual assault claims to be made past the state’s usual deadlines, according to The AP.
Ormond said she was a rising star in Hollywood when Weinstein allegedly violated her, per the lawsuit. She kept in contact with him regarding scripts and to discuss ongoing and future projects, the AP noted. She reportedly said she entered into a production agreement with Miramax in 1995, where Weinstein was the co-chairman.
Ormond has starred in films alongside Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford. She also appeared in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “My Week With Marilyn and Sabrina.” (RELATED: ‘It Was Over’: Martin Scorsese Reveals The Breaking Point That Nearly Made Him Quit Hollywood)
Weinstein’s lawyer, Imran Ansari, spoke out about the allegations Ormond made.
Weinstein “categorically denies the allegations made against him by Julia Ormond and he is prepared to vehemently defend himself,” Ansari said, according to The AP.
Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault in 2020 and is currently serving time in prison.