The lawsuit claims Weinstein smeared Judd to ruin her chance of playing a role after she refused his sexual advances. Judd was one of the first women to come forward about Weinstein's alleged serial sexual harassment.
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Hollywood actress Ashley Judd on Monday sued Harvey Weinstein, alleging that the disgraced producer "torpedoed" her career nearly two decades ago after she refused his sexual advances.
The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court accuses Weinstein of disparaging Judd to "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson and his production partner Fran Walsh in 1998, a year after the actress allegedly turned down Weinstein's sexual advances in a hotel room. At the time she was being considered for a major roll in the blockbuster trilogy.
"With those baseless smears, Weinstein succeeded in blacklisting Ms. Judd and destroying her ability to work on what became a multibillion-dollar franchise with 17 Academy Award wins and many more nominations," the suit states.
"Weinstein used his power in the entertainment industry to damage Ms. Judd's reputation and limit her ability to find work," the lawsuit added.
Judd was one of the first women to come forward last fall alleging Weinstein sexually harassed her. The revelations led to more than 70 other women coming forward with stories of rape or sexual harassment that ultimately brought down Weinstein and the company he founded with his brother Bob.
Since The New York Times published allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein in October, many other prominent US men have faced harassment allegations. DW looks at some high-profile cases.
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The case that sparked a global debate
Harvey Weinstein has been accused by dozens of women of sexual harassment or sexual assaults, including rape. Under investigation by police departments in New York, London, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex, but apologized for causing "a lot of pain." The case prompted many other women to come forward.
Image: Reuters/A. Kelly
Media men in glass houses
PBS and CBS host Charlie Rose is accused by several women of unwanted sexual advances, walking naked in front of them or making lewd phone calls. He has apologized for his behavior but questioned the accuracy of some of the allegations. Meanwhile, Journalist Mark Halperin is accused of harassing about 12 women while at ABC News.
Image: Reuters/C. Allegri
Politicians from the Republican party...
US Senate candidate Roy Moore, a Republican from Alabama, is accused of sexually assaulting two teenagers and pursuing relationships with several others decades ago, when he was in his 30s. He has denied the allegations. Former President George H.W. Bush was accused of patting seven women below the waist. The 93-year-old has issued apologies through a spokesman "to anyone he has offended."
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...and the Democrats
A senior figure in the US Democratic party, Minnesota Senator Al Franken is accused of forcibly kissing radio personality Leeann Tweeden and groping her while she slept during a 2006 tour to Afghanistan to entertain US troops. The former comedian who became a senator in 2009 has apologized, saying he felt "disgusted" with himself.
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Sexual misconduct in sports
Ex-USA gymnastics team doctor Lawrence "Larry" Nassar is accused of abusing over 100 female athletes. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct and could face 25 years in prison. Three of his victims were under 13 years old. Israeli IOC member Alex Gilady is accused by two women of rape and by two others of inappropriate conduct. He denies the rape accusations.
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Hollywood stars under scrutiny
Actor Kevin Spacey has been accused by at least 24 men of sexual misconduct or assault. London police are investigating two sexual assaults and he was fired from "House of Cards." Dustin Hoffman is accused by a woman of harassing her when she was 17. He has apologized for his behavior. Writer-director James Toback is accused by hundreds of women of sexual harassment. He denies the allegations.
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Following the revelations, Jackson in December said that he recalled Weinstein pressuring him not to hire Judd or actress Mira Sorvino.
"I recall Miramax telling us they were a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs. This was probably in 1998," Jackson was quoted as telling Fairfax New Zealand. "At the time, we had no reason to question what these guys were telling us — but in hindsight, I realize that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing."
The civil lawsuit filed by Judd does not implicate Parker.
A representative for Weinstein said in a statement that the producer "neither defamed Ms. Judd nor ever interfered with Ms. Judd's career." It said that Weinstein had supported her role in two of his movies, "Frida" in 2002, and "Crossing Over" in 2009.
A leading figure in the #Metoo movement, Judd said that any damages awarded from a trial would be donated to the Time's Up legal fund, "so that women and men in all professions may have legal redress for sexual harassment, economic retaliation and damage to their careers."
Time's 2017 Person of the Year: The Silence Breakers
Giving power to the #MeToo movement, the people who came forward with their stories of sexual harassment have been named Time's 2017 Person of the Year. Here are some of the most high-profile "Silence Breakers."
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Ashley Judd
In 1997, upcomer Ashley Judd was invited to meet star-maker Harvey Weinstein at an LA hotel, whereupon he tried to coerce her into bed. Judd escaped but refused to be silenced. Many in Hollywood then said the producer's sexual misconduct was an "open secret." "There wasn't a place for us to report these experiences," said Judd, the first to call out Weinstein in the New York Times in October.
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Rose McGowan
When actor Rose McGowan first told people that Harvey Weinstein had raped her, she says some in Hollywood threatened to end her career. "They threatened [me] with being blacklisted. I was blacklisted after I was raped, because I got raped, because I said something," she said in a January interview first published in the Observer. But that didn't stop her from later speaking out.
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Taylor Swift
When Taylor Swift alleged that Denver radio DJ David Mueller reached under her skirt and groped her, he took her to court after it lead to his firing. "I'm not going to let you or your client make me feel in any way that this is my fault," she told his lawyer. Swift also told Time magazine that if Mueller was "brazen enough to assault me... imagine what he might do to a vulnerable, young artist."
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Selma Blair
Blair claims that writer/director James Toback invited her to his room and asked her to remove her clothing while she read a script before asking her for sex. When she refused, he blocked her way and masturbated against her leg. He then threatened to kill her if she dared to talk. "I didn't want to speak up because, it sounds crazy but, even until now, I have been scared for my life," said Blair.
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Alyssa Milano
"Me Too" was first used in 2006 by gender equality activist Tarana Burke as a rallying cry for young sexual harassment and assault survivors. Actor Alyssa Milano was sent a screenshot of the phrase in October and later tweeted: "If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet." She woke to find that over 30,000 people had used #MeToo and burst into tears.
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Wendy Walsh
After Bill O'Reilly and Fox News spent millions on lawyers to settle, and silence, sexual harassment claims, Wendy Walsh, a psychologist and Fox contributor spoke out about O'Reilly after initial reluctance for fear of retaliation. "I felt it was my duty," Walsh told Time, "as a mother of daughters, as an act of love for women everywhere and the women who are silenced, to be brave."
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Megyn Kelly
TV news anchor Megyn Kelly has accused Fox host Bill O'Reilly of sexual harassment. "What if we did complain?" she said to Time, "if we spoke our truth in our strongest voices? What if that worked to change reality right now?" Perhaps that change has already started to come. "I always thought maybe things could change for my daughter," said Kelly. "I never thought things could change for me."
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Susan Fowler
An Uber engineer, Fowler felt powerless with "a harasser in the White House" and decided to out sexual harassers at Uber in a blog post. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick was subsequently forced to resign and 20-odd employees were fired. "There's something really empowering about standing up for what's right," said Fowler, who has been described as a whistle-blower — which she calls "a badge of honor."
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Terry Crews
The actor and former American football star is one of a number of men who have said "me too." Crews has taken out a sexual assault lawsuit against talent agent Adam Venit, who he accuses of groping him at a party in Hollywood in February 2016. Also among Time's Silence Breakers is actor Blaise Godbe Lipman, who's accused talent agent Tyler Grasham of sexually assaulting him when he was a teenager.