Manhattan Judge Rules Julia Ormond’s Harvey Weinstein Lawsuit Against Disney and CAA Can Proceed
The Walt Disney Company suffered another blow in court today when a Manhattan judge ruled that Julia Ormond’s lawsuit against Disney and CAA can proceed.
The Emmy Award-winning actress is suing both entities, claiming that they failed to protect her from Harvey Weinstein in the mid-90s.
Image: Sony Pictures
Ormond originally filed her lawsuit last October, alleging that she had been sexually assaulted by Weinstein in December 1995. At the time, the disgraced producer (who will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars for a series of sex crimes) was the head of Disney-owned Miramax.
Ormond Says CAA Discouraged Her From Reporting the Sexual Assault
The actress alleges that her representation at CAA knew that Weinstein was a predator when they helped her sign a film production deal with Miramax. After the alleged assault, Ormond claims that she told her CAA agents, Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane. The duo discouraged her from reporting the incident because it would damage her career.
Subsequently, Ormond says CAA damaged her career by giving her inexperienced agents and eventually losing interest in her.
Image: Paramount Pictures
Disney, she asserts, also knew what a monster Weinstein really was.
“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,” the lawsuit contends.
Image: Paramount
CAA Claimed It Was Unaware of Weinsteins Behavior
In subsequent court filings, both Disney and CAA denied that they knew Weinstein’s history prior to the alleged sexual assault. Ormond, CAA argued, was suing the wrong defendant as “the agency had no reason to believe there was any risk to Plaintiff in arranging a business dinner with Weinstein.”
Judge Adams rejected CAA’s argument, noting that another of the agency’s clients alleged to have been preyed upon by Weinstein and similarly discouraged by CAA from filing a complaint.
Image: Julia Ormond
“These allegations, taken together, suggest that CAA knew or had reason to know of a potential assault by Weinstein,” the judge wrote.
Judge Adams Says Disney Can Be Held Responsible
Meanwhile, Disney argued that while Miramax was a subsidiary of the company at the time (they sold Miramax in 2010), it did not have supervisory control over Weinstein’s behavior.
Judge Adams also rejected this argument, ruling that Orman’s lawyers had provided enough evidence to the contrary. This included an employment agreement Weinstein signed with Disney.
Now, Orman’s lawsuit will be able to continue with both CAA and Disney as defendants.
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