Harvey Weinstein bragged about sleeping with Jennifer Lawrence after another actress rejected his advances, lawsuit claims
Film producer is alleged to have said: ‘I slept with Jennifer Lawrence and look where she is; she has just won an Oscar’
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Your support makes all the difference.Film producer Harvey Weinstein is alleged to have bragged about sleeping with Jennifer Lawrence when another actor rejected his advances.
The latest allegation by an unnamed woman claims he forcibly performed oral sex on her and emerged in court documents on Friday.
Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.
According to the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, Weinstein pushed the unnamed actress to the ground during a meeting at his office in 2013 before sexually assaulting her.
The woman claims Weinstein asked “Do you even want to be an actress?”, adding: “I slept with Jennifer Lawrence and look where she is; she has just won an Oscar,” when she rejected his advances.
Lawrence issued a statement on Friday denying she had had a sexual relationship with Weinstein.
“My heart breaks for all the women who were victimised by Harvey Weinstein,” she said.
“I have never had anything but a professional relationship with him.
“This is yet another example of the predatory tactics and lies that he engaged in to lure countless women.”
Lawrence won the Best Actress Oscar in 2012 for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, which was produced by The Weinstein Company.
The latest accuser, listed in legal documents as Jane Doe, is suing both Weinstein and The Weinstein Company – the film studio he founded with his brother Bob.
She alleges sexual battery and discrimination
A representative for Weinstein said: “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.
“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.
“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.”
It comes after a group of Weinstein accusers attempted to block him from bringing his private emails into the public eye.
Weinstein has asked a bankruptcy court in the US state of Delaware to allow him to recover files from The Weinstein Company.
He wants to use the emails in his defence against sexual assault charges in New York but his accusers from a separate civil case are trying to block the move due to concerns over confidentiality.
They have asked a judge to block him from releasing the material to “the media (or any other third party)” after alleging Weinstein’s lawyers told them he “intended to unleash these emails in the media to sway the court of public opinion”.
Weinstein’s civil lawyer, Scott Cousins, accused the women of “doing all they can to prevent the truth from coming out”.
Mr Cousins added: “This strategy will not bode well, as they are going behind the bankruptcy court’s back which has sole jurisdiction over these emails and the plaintiffs know it.
“To claim sexual assault and then take such measures to prevent the truth from being heard speaks volumes of their motives.”
Weinstein is next due in court on 20 December.
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