Actress Ashley Judd is suing Harvey Weinstein for defamation and sexual harassment, alleging that the embattled former producer intentionally hurt her career after she denied his sexual advances. Judd's lawsuit comes as Alexandra Canosa, a producer on “Marco Polo,” filed a complaint in New York Supreme Court on Monday that alleged repeated sexual assaults by Weinstein over a five year period.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Judd claims Weinstein "badmouthed her to filmmaker Peter Jackson and cost her a role in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy." Judd says she met with Jackson and his production partner Fran Walsh in or around 1998, as she was up for two major roles in the trilogy. When Jackson and Walsh shared the hiring prospective with Weinstein (Miramax owned the rights of 'Lords of the Rings' then), Judd claims Weinstein "torpedoed" the opportunity by telling the filmmakers that Miramax had had a "bad experience" with her, that she was a "nightmare" to work with and should be avoided "at all costs."
"The pathetic reality, however, was that Weinstein was retaliating against Ms. Judd for rejecting his sexual demands approximately one year earlier when he cornered her in a hotel room under the guise of discussing business," Judd's attorney wrote in court documents. "A self-described 'benevolent dictator' who has bragged that 'I can be scary,' Weinstein used his power in the entertainment industry to damage Ms. Judd’s reputation and limit her ability to find work."
This story first came to light in Dec. 2017, when Jackson told the New Zealand website Stuff that Weinstein made him "blacklist actresses" like Judd and Mira Sorvino. He said in 1998, he was interested in casting both stars, but Miramax described them as nightmares and to be avoided. "At the time, we had no reason to question what these guys were telling us — but in hindsight, I realize [sic] that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing," Jackson said. "I now suspect we were fed false information about both of these talented women — and as a direct result their names were removed from our casting list."
The suit claims Judd is not alone and Weinstein "smeared" and "tarnished" other actresses' reputations who also rejected his sexual advances.
"Mr. Weinstein’s abusive conduct toward others has caused no end of damage to aspiring actors and others in the film and entertainment industry," Judd said in a statement to Variety. "As my experience and the experience of others shows, even a few false statements from Mr. Weinstein could destroy potentially career-changing professional opportunities. It’s time that Mr. Weinstein be held accountable for that conduct and for the ways in which he’s damaged careers."
As Variety reported on Monday, producer Alexandra Canosa says Weinstein threatened to destroy her career if she went public with allegations that Weinstein raped and sexually assaulted her in New York, Beverly Hills, Budapest and Malaysia. She claims she was also threatened all the way up until November 2017, just a month before The New York Times and New Yorker dropped their bombshell exposés on Weinstein.
A representative for Weinstein responded to Judd's lawsuit Monday.
"The most basic investigation of the facts will reveal that Mr. Weinstein neither defamed Ms. Judd nor ever interfered with Ms. Judd’s career, and instead not only championed her work but also repeatedly approved her casting for two of his movies over the next decade."
The statement added that Weinstein "was widely known for having fought for Ms. Judd as his first choice for the lead role in 'Good Will Hunting' and, in fact, arranged for Ms. Judd to fly to New York to be considered for the role. Thereafter, Ms. Judd was hired for not one, but two of Mr. Weinstein’s movies, 'Frida' in 2002 and 'Crossing Over' with Harrison Ford in 2009. We look forward to a vigorous defense of these claims.”
Judd was one of the first women to come forward and accuse Weinstein of sexual harassment, which opened the floodgates in Hollywood and reignited the #MeToo movement. Dozens of women have accused Weinstein since, with allegations ranging from harassment to rape (he is currently under criminal investigation in New York and Los Angeles) and Judd is receiving support from fellow actresses:
I APPLAUD YOU. You deserve Justice & Reparations. 🔥Ashley Judd sues Harvey Weinstein: 'My career was damaged' because I rebuffed him - ABC News - via @ABC https://t.co/jS0fmnc1yP
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) April 30, 2018
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