Jennifer Lawrence Blisters Harvey Weinstein’s “Predatory Tactics”; Producer Calls Sundance Sexual Assault Suit “Malicious” – Update

UPDATE, 9:25 PM: Hours after the latest lawsuit to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault was made public both the disgraced producer and Jennifer Lawrence have responded to complaint – in very different manners.

“My heart breaks for all the women who were victimized by Harvey Weinstein,” the Oscar winner and X-Men alum said in a statement on Friday. Filed on December 12 in Los Angeles Superior Court, the Jane Doe of the six-claim unspecified damages seeking action accuses Weinstein of repeatedly forcing himself upon her. The jury requesting complaint also alleges that in his promises of movie roles for Jane Doe, Weinstein boasted that he had an affair with Lawrence and implied that is why she won the Academy Award.

“I have never had anything but a professional relationship with him,” Lawrence asserted today of the real nature of her interaction with Weinstein. “This is yet another example of the predatory tactics and lies that he engaged in to lure countless women.”

A spokesperson for the Pulp Fiction producer tonight basically called the 17-page document now on the LSC docket a work of ill-intentioned fiction itself.

“This lawsuit was filed and updated strategically with no notice given or any attempt to reach out to Mr. Weinstein’s attorneys for one reason; It was meant to embarrass Mr. Weinstein and garner unchecked media attention,” the Weinstein spokesperson declared.

“There is absolutely no truth to the malicious claims made in this lawsuit, and we are reviewing our options with an eye on filing for an immediate dismissal,” the statement from Weinstein’s team added. “Mr. Weinstein is embarrassed for Ms. Lawrence with whom he has only had a professional and respectful relationship, who has sadly been dragged into this ugly attempt at defamation. This filing further proves that anyone can say whatever they want in a lawsuit for maximum shock value, to defame and debase, without having to offer any facts or reality.”

Point of fact, Harvey Weinstein faces a New York Supreme Court justice on December 20 in a hearing in the criminal case against him that may set the course for if the much-accused producer faces like behind bars or not.

Along with being accused by more than 60 women of sexual assault or sexual harassment, Weinstein is under investigation by federal prosecutors as well as the probe by the Manhattan D.A.’s office and the NYPD. Additional allegations against Weinstein have been reviewed by the LAPD, which sent an initial trio of cases to the L.A. County D.A. on February 8. Another case was handed over to that same office in in August. As UK police continue their investigation, the Beverly Hills Police passed two cases of sexual assault that they say occurred in their jurisdiction to Lacey’s office on January 2.

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PREVIOUSLY, 6:08 PM: A woman identified as “Jane Doe” has sued Harvey Weinstein, describing a now-familiar scenario of the Hollywood producer assaulting the young actress after luring her into private meetings under the pretext of discussing potential movie roles.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses Weinstein of repeatedly exposing himself to the young actress, groping and fondling her, and forcibly performing oral sex on her as she audibly sobbed.

“While these meetings were set purportedly to discuss TWC scripts and included promises of parts and opportunities in TWC’s films (which would catapult Plaintiff’s career to another level), in reality, Weinstein orchestrated the meetings as a scheme to accost Plaintiff and to keep her silent about his sexual abuse,” the woman alleges in her suit (read it here).

The civil suit is one of numerous legal claims pending against Weinstein, whose sexual aggression was first reported by The New York Times in October 2017. Another actress, Rose McGowan, accused Weinstein of raping her at the film festival in 1997, in a hotel room meeting held after the screening of the film Going All the Way.

Weinstein’s attorney didn’t respond to a request seeking comment.

The actress was 22-years-old when she met Weinstein at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. The following day, his assistant invited her to meet the producer in his suite at the Waldorf Astoria Park City to discuss a potential film role.

After two hours of discussions, the woman excused herself to use the bathroom. Weinstein allegedly opened the door, exposed himself and made several sexually suggestive remarks, then ejaculating on her skirt.

The woman described the incident to friends and to her agent, who dismissed the behavior as Weinstein “just being a guy.” The agent urged the woman to “keep Weinstein close” because he had a temper.

The actress accepted Weinstein’s invitation to lunch the following day — which she attended, both because of the promise of potential roles and fear of potential harm to her career, according to court documents. She told him she was disturbed by what happened the day before and said she wanted to keep their relationship professional.

Weinstein handed her two tickets to a screening and invited her to an after party. At the party, he again accosted the actress at the bathroom, where he grabbed her and pulled her toward him.

“Don’t you want to come back to my hotel room?” Weinstein allegedly asked. “Why don’t you tell [your friend] we are working on a pitch together?”

The actress again rebuffed his advances.

The complaint describes other meetings — held ostensibly to discuss film roles — where Weinstein allegedly masturbated in front of her, groped her and, in one instance, forcibly perform oral sex on her. The document describes one Christmas Day encounter in 2015 at the Peninsula Hotel Beverly Hills, where the actress met the producer in his hotel room.

Weinstein asked for a massage, saying, “It’s Christmas. Can’t you be nice for once?” The actress briefly acquiesced to his request. When she stopped, Weinstein allegedly berated and threatened her, warning, “You don’t want to fuck this up.”

“Weinstein and TWC intentionally engaged in these communications and meetings, and made misrepresentations to Plaintiff, to guarantee her silence,” the suit alleges.

The woman seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages.