A Canadian actress is suing Harvey Weinstein for $14 million, claiming the producer sexually assaulted her twice.
The Toronto actress has joined the long line of those alleging sexual misconduct against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. As the Toronto Sun reports, the woman, only identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, alleges the assaults occurred in 2000 at the beginning of her acting career.
“Weinstein is a serial sexual predator who, by the time of the assaults on (Jane) Doe, had well-developed methods for targeting young actresses and luring them into situations that he considered optimal for sexually harassing and assaulting them,” according to the legal documents.
Included in the lawsuit are Weinstein, his former film company Miramax, The Walt Disney Company and Barbara Schneeweiss, a vice-president at The Weinstein Company.
The alleged victim says Weinstein approached her after three days of filming with an old line about her resembling an established female movie star.
One day later, the actress says Weinstein’s assistant, Barbara Schneeweiss, contacted her to say that Weinstein had been watching the raw film footage and was apparently struck by the actress’s potential for movie stardom. Weinstein proposed having breakfast at the Sutton Place Hotel “to discuss her career and potential opportunities with Miramax.”
The lawsuit says the situation quickly deteriorated as Weinstein led the actress to his bedroom, forcibly pushed her into the room and on to his bed — then he showed the actress his genitalia and noted that he was a star maker who could do great things for Doe.
Doe charges that Weinstein then pulled down her skirt, physically constrained her and then performed oral sex while she repeatedly said “No.”
The actress says she managed to flee the scene and then agreed to return to the hotel at Weinstein’s urging because she feared her film career might be over otherwise. At the second meeting, Doe claims that Weinstein assaulted her again, this time sticking his tongue down her throat.
The actress claims her experiences not only resulted in physical and psychological pain but fears of “further exploitation by powerful sexual predators and their enablers in the entertainment industry.”