Harvey Weinstein Accuser Files $5 Million Lawsuit Against The Weinstein Company For Negligence
As the number of women coming forward with their sexual harassment allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein keeps on growing, one more woman has gone public with claims that the Hollywood mogul sexually assaulted her and has filed a lawsuit against the disgraced producer and his former company over its alleged knowledge of his misconduct.
Even though Weinstein was kicked out of The Weinstein Company (TWC), the company is facing a civil lawsuit that could potentially burn a hole in its pocket.
Blue Bloods actress Dominique Huett filed a complaint against TWC on Tuesday, Oct. 24, claiming that their former co-chairman forcibly engaged in oral sex with her and the company was involved in covering up his inappropriate behavior and is seeking $5 million in damages.
Huett alleges that Weinstein forced himself on her in an incident that took place at the Beverly Hill's Peninsula hotel in 2010. The actress pointed out that the former studio honcho lured her over under the pretext of a business meeting but as soon as they entered the room, he wanted her to give him a massage. After she complied with his request, Weinstein proceeded to perform oral sex on her without her consent.
"Weinstein displayed persistence and would not take 'no' for an answer," the suit alleges. "After removing her clothes, and performing oral sex, Weinstein masturbated in front of Plaintiff until he reached orgasm."
The civil complaint also states that the company was aware of the multiple complaints of sexual misconduct, which were settled with the victims prior to the filing of the suit, including the Board of Directors and Bob Weinstein.
The lawsuit also goes on to state that not only did the company had the knowledge about his misconduct, it also aided and abetted Weinstein on several occasions, before citing an example saying that female employees were often used as "honeypots" to lure Weinstein's victims.
Weinstein's representatives have denied Huett's claims while reps for TWC have not yet responded to the actress' allegations. Huett's story reverberates the experience shared by production assistant Mimi Haleyi, who alleged that the producer sexually assaulted her in a similar manner in New York in 2006.
Multiple women, including the likes of Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lena Headey, Ashley Judd and many others have gone public with their accusations of sexual harassment against Weinstein following a New York Times op-ed published on Oct. 5.
