New Weinstein Class-Action Lawsuit Alleges Businesses Covered Up Sexual Assault
Harvey Weinstein, the man who started it all Image by Getty
By Aiden Pink December 6, 2017
Six women have filed a class-action lawsuit against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and his former businesses, alleging that they used a pattern of racketeering to “perpetuate and conceal Weinstein’s widespread sexual harassment and assault.”
The lawsuit claims that Weinstein and his companies’ staffs, boards of directors, investigators and friendly journalists formed what they called the “Weinstein Sexual Enterprise” to protect Weinstein.
“Despite knowledge of Weinstein’s sexual misconduct, no disciplinary action was taken and he was allowed to be alone with women while on TWC business,” the suit claims, referring to The Weinstein Company. “TWC and TWC’s Board of Directors are thus responsible for Weinstein’s acts of assault, battery, and intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress.”
Others targeted in the lawsuit include The Weinstein Company and Miramax, Weinstein’s former studio; Bob Weinstein, Harvey’s brother and business partner; and TWC board of directors members Dirk Ziff, Tim Sarnoff, Marc Lasry, Tarak Ben Ammar, Lance Maerov, Richard Koenigsberg, and Paul Tudor Jones.
“These individuals and companies chose to put ad revenue and movie sales, profits and ledgers before compassion and integrity,” the six women said in a statement Wednesday. “If money is the language they speak, then so be it. Let them learn that it is costlier to cover up assault, harassment, rape and violence. Let them learn the hard way: wallet first.”
The six women filing the suit are actresses Louisette Geiss, Katherine Kendall, Zoe Brock, Sarah Ann Masse, Melissa Sagemiller, and Nannette Klatt.
Weinstein was fired from his company in October after multiple women came forward accusing him of rape and sexual assault.
Contact Aiden Pink at pink@forward.com or on Twitter, @aidenpink
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