Backlash asWeinstein’s lawyers quote actresses

HARVEY Weinstein has apologised for citing Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence in an attempt to get a class action lawsuit against him dismissed.

Lawrence hit back at the disgraced mogul, calling him a “predator” after Weinstein’s lawyers used favourable quotes about him from the Hollywood stars.

Six women are suing Weinstein and the “Weinstein Sexual Enterprise” – which they say includes his brother Bob and their co-founded studio The Weinstein Company – saying they conspired to conceal his widespread alleged sexual harassment.

A spokeswoman for Weinstein said: “Mr Weinstein has been informed that his civil counsel responded in court to a class action lawsuit which improperly sought to include all actresses who had previously worked with Mr Weinstein, even where those actresses have made no claim of wrongdoing.

“Even though Mr Weinstein has worked with hundreds of actresses and actors who had only professional and mutually respectful experiences with him, Mr Weinstein has directed in the future that no specific names be used by his counsel, even where those actors have made previous public statements about him.

“Mr Weinstein acknowledges the valuable input both Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence have contributed to this conversation and apologises.”

Weinstein’s lawyers had selectively pointed to Lawrence saying in a previous interview that the mogul “had only ever been nice to me”, and cited Streep saying she was never harassed by the producer.

Weinstein, 65, denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.