Ashley Judd Wins Appeal in Harvey Weinstein Sexual Harassment Suit
A federal appeals court revived actress Ashley Judd’s sexual
harassment lawsuit against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein,
saying she could sue under California law over his alleged attempt to help her
career in return for sexual favors.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco found
on Wednesday that Weinstein had considerable power over Judd’s career in 1997,
when they held a business meeting at his hotel and the alleged harassment
occurred.
“By virtue of his professional position and influence as a
top producer in Hollywood, Weinstein was uniquely situated to exercise coercive
power or leverage over Judd, who was a young actor at the beginning of her
career,” the opinion said.
The appeals court sent the case back to the lower court for
further proceedings.
“This is an important victory not only for Ms. Judd but for
all victims of sexual harassment in professional relationships,” said Judd’s
lawyer Theodore Boutrous.
Weinstein has maintained he never sexually harassed Judd.
Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison by a New York
state court in March after his conviction for sexual assault and rape, a case
that fueled the #MeToo movement.
The actress, who was not part of the New York case, sued
Weinstein in April 2018 for sexual harassment under a California law barring
such conduct in a “business, service or professional relationship.”
Last year, U.S. District Court Judge Philip Gutierrez
dismissed that claim, finding Judd’s relationship with Weinstein was not
covered by the California law. The appeals court found this was a
misinterpretation.
Judd, one of the first women to publicly accuse Weinstein of
sexual misconduct in 2017, also sued him for defamation, accusing him of
discouraging director Peter Jackson from casting her in “The Lord of the
Rings.”
Weinstein’s attorney, Phyllis Kupferstein, said the trial
will show Judd was never defamed and Weinstein championed her work.
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