The actress announced the news last night.
Ashley Judd has announced that she is suing Harvey Weinstein for sexual harassment as well as allegedly defaming her and blocking her from career opportunities.
According to the lawsuit filed, Judd says that Weinstein went to director Peter Jackson to deter him from casting the actress in what went on to be one of the most successful movie franchises of all time, The Lord of the Rings.
The lawsuit claims 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.”
We just filed this lawsuit on behalf of @AshleyJudd against Harvey Weinstein https://t.co/3NI69yDUJA
— Ted Boutrous (@BoutrousTed) April 30, 2018
My legal complaint. I am suing for economic remedy due to damage done to my career as a result of sexual harassment. Financial recuperation goes to @TIMESUPNOW @TIMESUPLDF so that American workers who experince sexual harassment & retaliation have help. https://t.co/Nod3fXgVk3
— ashley judd (@AshleyJudd) April 30, 2018
Judd says that she was in discussions with Peter Jackson to star in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and was “being invited to consider which of two roles” she wanted to play in the movies before Weinstein allegedly told Jackson that Judd was a “nightmare” to work with and should be avoided “at all costs”.
Peter Jackson has since come forward and said that he now realises his discussions with Weinstein at the time were a “smear campaign in full swing”.
The director said in a statement that Weinstein had “torpedoed [Judd’s] incredible professional opportunity to star in The Lord of the Rings franchise.”
JUDD SUES WEINSTEIN: Actress Ashley Judd told @AmyRobach in an @ABC exclusive interview why she filed a new lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein, claiming he damaged her career by blocking her from getting major roles. https://t.co/P1tAB2dYtV pic.twitter.com/4QX8hgxenu
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) May 1, 2018
Judd is now seeking unspecific damages and a jury trial and says she will donate any money won in the civil lawsuit to the #TimesUp movement.
The actress was one of the first women to come forward and accuse the disgraced producer of sexual misconduct on-the-record back in October 2017.
As the number of women accusing Weinstein of similar grew, the #MeToo movement was born and later it evolved into the Times Up movement.
The Oscar-winning producer has since been accused of sexual impropriety by over 70 women, however, he denies having had non-consensual sex with any of those women.
