Actress Julia Ormond, recognized for her roles in films like Legends of the Fall and Sabrina, has initiated a lawsuit in a New York court, accusing former film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual battery, as reported by the New York Times. In her lawsuit, Ormond contends that Weinstein coerced her into performing oral sex during a business meeting in 1995.
Furthermore, Ormond has also included Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in her legal action. CAA was the talent agency representing her at the time of the alleged incident. The complaint alleges that two senior agents at CAA advised Ormond against speaking out and informed her of a “going rate” for settlements paid to women who accused Weinstein of sexual offenses, an amount she claims was $100,000. This marks the first lawsuit against CAA for its purported involvement in covering up Weinstein’s behavior.
Harvey Weinstein, currently 71 years old, was convicted in 2020 by a New York jury on charges of rape and criminal sexual assault and was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Subsequently, he was convicted of similar crimes in Los Angeles and received an additional 16-year sentence to be served after his New York term. Weinstein has consistently denied all allegations against him, asserting that all encounters were consensual. He is currently appealing both convictions.
Responding to the lawsuit, Imran H Ansari, a lawyer for Harvey Weinstein, stated, “Harvey Weinstein categorically denies the allegations made against him by Julia Ormond, and he is prepared to vehemently defend himself.” Ansari also noted that this lawsuit is another example of allegations filed against Weinstein after many years have passed.
On the other hand, Creative Artists Agency has called Ormond’s claims “baseless” and declared that they will vigorously contest them in court. According to a statement by the agency, Ormond’s lawyer approached CAA in March, seeking $15 million in exchange for not making the allegations against the agency public, a demand that was rejected. An independent review conducted by attorney Loretta Lynch and her law firm, Paul Weiss, found no evidence to support Ormond’s claims against CAA.
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