Harvey Weinstein: Ashley Judd's sexual harassment claim against disgraced producer dismissed by judge
Judd alleged that Weinstein tried to smear her reputation after she refused his advances, and that he prevented her from getting a role in 'Lord of the Rings'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A federal judge in Los Angeles has dismissed the sexual harassment claims made by Ashley Judd in a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein.
Judd had accused the producer of defaming her in 1998 after she refused what she claimed were his sexual advances the year before. In the lawsuit, filed in April 2018, the Double Jeopardy star accused Weinstein of smearing her reputation by discouraging director Peter Jackson from casting her in Lord of the Rings.
Judd, who was one of the first women to publicly accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct, accused him of sexual harassment in violation of a California law that bars such conduct by a person “in a business, service or professional relationship” with another.
According to Reuters, US district judge Philip Gutierrez said he was not determining whether Weinstein sexually harassed Judd “in the colloquial sense of the term”. However, he said her relationship as an actor with the film producer was not covered under the law she had sued under, nor under a 2019 amendment.
Weinstein’s lawyer, Phyllis Kupferstein, welcomed the judge’s decision.
“We have said from the beginning that this claim was unjustified, and we are pleased that the court saw it as we did,” she said in a statement, adding: “We believe that we will ultimately prevail on her remaining claims.”
Judd’s lawyer said the ruling will not upend her complaint. “Nothing about today’s ruling changes that Ms Judd’s case is moving forward on multiple claims,” he said in a statement issued on the evening of Wednesday 9 January.
“We look forward to pursuing the three claims for relief that the Court has already ruled can move forward.”
Jackson, known for directing films including the fantasy franchises Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, said in 2017 that he had been considering Judd for a role in the 2002 film Lord of the Rings, but was told she was “blacklisted” during conversations with the Weinstein company.
He claimed Weinstein told him Judd was “a nightmare” to work with. Weinstein denied trying to derail Judd’s career and said he had no role in her casting in Lord of the Rings.
Weinstein currently faces a separate, criminal case involving five allegations of sexual assault, including rape, and is due to stand trial in May.
The Hollywood producer has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 70 women. He has denied all the allegations and said any sexual encounters were consensual.