Toronto actress seeks to sue Weinstein
TORON TO • A Toronto actress is seeking to launch a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein, alleging the film producer sexually assaulted her in his hotel room about 17 years ago.
On Monday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Todd Archibald ordered a hearing for next week, where the court will decide whether the actress can pursue the lawsuit without revealing her identity.
In a proposed statement of claim for the lawsuit, the actress, identified only as Jane Doe, alleges that Weinstein sexually assaulted her twice in the summer of 2000, when she was in her early 20s, while she was in Toronto working on her first film — which was produced by Weinstein’s then- company, Miramax.
The woman’s allegations come as Weinstein, an Oscarwinning film mogul, faces a slew of sexual- harassment allegations from dozens of women. He was fired from his namesake company on Oct. 8.
A spokesperson for Weinstein, Holly Baird, said Tuesday that, “Any allegations of non- consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein.”
According to court documents, Weinstein approached Jane Doe on set and chatted with her briefly.
In a call the next day, Weinstein’s then- assistant, identified as Barbara Schneeweiss, told her the producer had watched clips of her performance and thought she “really stood out.” Schneeweiss arranged a breakfast meeting at a Toronto hotel. “Doe was thrilled that Weinstein apparently thought she was talented and felt honoured to be noticed by him,” the statement of claim reads.
But when Doe arrived, Schneeweiss told her Weinstein had been held up on a call, and took her to the producer’s suite.
Weinstein eventually invited Doe on a tour of his suite. The court documents allege that once in the bedroom, Weinstein forced her onto the bed and took out his penis. “He told Doe that he had made various famous actresses’ careers and could make Doe’s career as well,” reads the statement of claim. “He said words to the effect of, ‘I do think you are a very talented young girl but the best thing you could do for your career ...’ He then gestured and looked at his penis.”
He allegedly pulled down her skirt, held her by the wrists and, despite her saying “No” several times, “forcibly performed oral sex on her without her consent.” Doe said she managed to break free of his grip and escape the hotel room.
Doe said she finally answered one of several phone calls from Weinstein, who asked her to return to the hotel so he could explain the “misunderstanding.” Fearing she could destroy her film career, she obliged. At the hotel, Weinstein allegedly begged her back into his room, where he “threw his weight onto her and tried to stick his tongue down her throat.”
The allegations have not been proven in court.
According to the statement of claim, the woman is seeking $ 14 million in damages — $4 million from Weinstein, $4 million from both Miramax and the Walt Disney Co., since Miramax was a subsidiary of Disney, and $2 million from Schneeweiss.
In a statement, the Walt Disney Co. said: “The Weinsteins operated and managed their business with virtual autonomy, and we were unaware of any complaints, lawsuits, or settlements. There is absolutely no legal basis for this claim against The Walt Disney Company and we will defend against it vigorously.”