Julia Ormond (left) and Harvey Weinstein (right).Photo:Daniele Venturelli/Getty; Etienne Laurent-Pool/Getty
Daniele Venturelli/Getty; Etienne Laurent-Pool/Getty
According to a complaint filed in New York State Supreme Court Wednesday, Ormond, 58, had a business dinner in December 1995 to discuss a project she was interested in.
During the dinner, Weinstein, now 71, insisted he would only discuss the project at the actress’s apartment and allegedly forced her to perform oral sex on him once they arrived, inebriated, to her apartment.
The actress is known for roles in films like 1994’sLegends of the Fallopposite Brad Pitt, plus, in 1995,SabrinaandFirst Knight. She played Vivien Leigh in 2011’sMy Week with Marilyn, and most recently starred on the seriesThe Walking Dead: World Beyond.
The lawsuit also seeks damages from her former agency Creative Artists Agency, Weinstein’s then-company Miramax and its parent company Disney.
Ormond’s lawsuit claimed CAA “well knew of Weinstein’s propensity for sexually assaultive and exploitative behavior, particularly as to young actresses whom Weinstein was meeting for business purposes” when it helped her secure a film production deal with Miramax.
“That sexual assault on Ormond could have been prevented if Miramax or Disney had properly supervised Weinstein and not retained him while knowing that he was a danger to the women he encountered at work,” the lawsuit reads.Reps for Miramax and Disney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment. In a statement, CAA called Ormond’s claims against the agency “without merit.”
Julia Ormond and Brad Pitt in 1994’s ‘Legends Of The Fall’.Tri-Star/Bedford/Pangaea/Kobal/Shutterstock
Tri-Star/Bedford/Pangaea/Kobal/Shutterstock
“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,” Weinstein’s rep added.
Ormond said in a statement Wednesday, “After living for decades with the painful memories of my experiences at the hands of Harvey Weinstein, I am humbled and grateful to all those who have risked speaking out."
Julia Ormond on June 30, 2019.Venturelli/Getty
Venturelli/Getty
“Their courage and the Adult Survivors Act has provided me a window of opportunity and way to shed light on how powerful people and institutions like my talent agents at CAA, Miramax and Disney enabled and provided cover for Weinstein to assault me and countless others,” she added.
Julia Ormond on May 16, 2019.Lars Ronbog/Getty
Lars Ronbog/Getty
Ormond is seeking “compensatory damages including consequential damages, lost wages, earning, and all other sums of money, together with interest on these amounts,” as well as a monetary judgment “for mental pain and anguish and severe emotional distress,” as well as her attorneys' fees, according to the lawsuit.
A CAA spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement Wednesday night that the agency “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,” the statement reads. “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.”
“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 - 1999,” the statement continues.
“Ms. Ormond’s claims against CAA are baseless, and the agency will vigorously refute them in court,” the agency said.
In a response to CAA’s statement, Ormond’s attorney Douglas Wigdor told PEOPLE: “Rest assured, we will expose the real facts.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
