Weinstein sues to get company emails

NEW YORK — Disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein sued his former company on Thursday, seeking access to emails, his personnel file and other records he contends may exonerate him from multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

Weinstein’s lawsuit seeks access to the records, which Weinstein’s lawyers argue are key to the Oscar-winner’s defence from the avalanche of harassment claims made against him since an Oct. 5 report by the New York Times. Weinstein was fired from The Weinstein Co. three days later. His lawsuit makes clear that if he is able to obtain the records, he may use them to pursue a wrongful termination case or other legal actions against the company.

A representative for The Weinstein Co. did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment.

The lawsuit came hours after actor Ashley Judd described oncamera Weinstein’s sexual advances toward her, which she said she escaped by making a deal.

She detailed the experience in an interview with Good Morning America aired Thursday morning. Judd’s account of the incident three weeks ago in the New York Times was a key factor in Weinstein’s downfall, and opened the door to an avalanche of harassment allegations against Weinstein and others and a broader cultural discussion of how women are treated in the workplace and beyond.

NBC suspended Mark Halperin on Thursday after CNN reported on the claims of five women who said the political journalist harassed them while he was an ABC News executive. Halperin, who co-authored the bestseller Game Change, apologized Wednesday for what he called inappropriate behaviour. And former Fox News host and bestselling author Bill O’Reilly, who was forced out of the network in April after sexual harassment allegations, saw his literary agency cut ties with him.

Fallout continues to Weinstein and the film production company he co-founded. The Lexus luxury vehicle brand said Thursday it was ending its partnership with The Weinstein Co., which included sponsorship and product placement in company’s Project Runway television show.

Weinstein has been fired from the company he co-founded with his brother and is now facing criminal investigations in London, New York and Los Angeles.

In the GMA interview, Judd said the business meeting in Weinstein’s hotel room turned into a negotiation not about work, but about things the producer wanted the actress to do to him.

Weinstein first offered to give her a massage, then, when she demurred, asked her to give him one, she said.

“I fought with this volley of no’s,” she said.

Then she made a “deal.” She said she agreed to submit to him, but only “when I win an Oscar in one of your movies — OK?”

“When you get NOMINATED,” Weinstein counteroffered.

“And I said, ’No. When I WIN an Oscar.’ And then I just fled.”