As a seasoned film critic who has witnessed the rise and fall of many a silver screen star, I must say that Julia Ormond’s journey is one that resonates deeply with me. Having spent countless hours poring over scripts, biographies, and the lives of actors, directors, and producers, I can’t help but be moved by Ormond’s story.
On Monday, a judge granted Julia Ormond permission to move forward with claims that Disney and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) neglected to shield her from Harvey Weinstein‘s misconduct in the 1990s.
In a ruling made by Suzanne J. Adams, a judge from Manhattan’s state court, the defense motions seeking to discard the lawsuit were turned down. The lawsuit alleges that a major entertainment company and an agency knowingly supported Weinstein’s predatory actions, as he was deemed profitable for them.
Back in October, I, being Ormond, filed a lawsuit, accusing some companies of sexual assault incidents that occurred against me in New York City during December 1995, at the hands of Weinstein. At the time, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) was representing me, and they had worked out a deal for me with Weinstein’s company, Miramax – a company owned by Disney at that point. Naturally, Miramax itself was also included in the lawsuit as a defendant.
In the mid-90s, a prominent British actress gained fame with starring roles in “Sabrina” and “Legends of the Fall.” She claims that following an assault, her representatives at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane, advised against reporting the incident as it could harm her career and she might not be believed.
According to Ormond, CAA eventually stopped being interested in managing her, leading to a decline in her career.
Weinstein maintains he did not harass Ormond. Additionally, CAA asserts that Ormond didn’t bring the claim to her representatives at the time; instead, they claim Huvane and Lourd became aware of it when Ormond’s legal team sent a notice before filing a lawsuit.
Neither CAA nor Disney has provided evidence suggesting they were aware of Weinstein’s past sexual assault incidents prior to their December 1995 meeting, as stated in the lawsuit.
In their attempt to dismiss the case, the CAA contended that Ormond had filed a lawsuit against the incorrect party. They further stated that the agency saw no cause for concern when arranging a business dinner between Ormond and Weinstein, as they believed there was no potential danger to the Plaintiff in this interaction.
By rejecting the motion, Adams concluded that Ormond had convincingly argued that CAA’s response suggested they were cognizant of Weinstein’s behavior. Additionally, the judge acknowledged a claim stating that a year prior to the assault, Weinstein had attempted to seduce another CAA client by offering career advancements in exchange for sexual favors. The lawsuit alleges that CAA similarly dissuaded this client from filing a complaint about the incident.
“The judge’s writing indicates that the combined accusations imply that CAA was aware or ought to have been aware of a possible assault by Weinstein.”
Disney contended that despite Miramax being a subsidiary at the time, it did not hold authority to oversee Weinstein’s actions. The judge determined there was sufficient evidence provided by Ormond’s legal team, such as Weinstein signing an employment contract with Disney, to permit the lawsuit against Disney to move forward.
Adams also denied Miramax’s motion to throw out the lawsuit.
“The plaintiff has clearly stated that Weinstein abused his role at Miramax and his ability to approve funding for her movie project (as outlined in their film production contract with Miramax), to carry out his attack on her,” the judge explained.
In simple terms, Ormond chose to bring forth his lawsuit using the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law that allows him to proceed with claims that might otherwise be too old due to the statute of limitations.
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2024-08-20 00:17