Harvey Weinstein ‘bragged about sleeping with Jennifer Lawrence’, new lawsuit alleges
According to a recent lawsuit, Harvey Weinstein bragged about sleeping with Jennifer Lawrence after another actress turned down his advances.
The Hollywood producer boasted of having a sexual relationship with the Oscar winner after forcing oral sex on a young actress during a meeting in 2013.
Weinstein has rejected all claims of non-consensual sex.
Weinstein allegedly shoved the unidentified actress to the ground in his office in 2013 before sexually assaulting her, according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles.
When the unnamed turned down Weinstein’s approaches, he said, “Do you even want to be an actress?”
“I slept with Jennifer Lawrence and look where she is — she’s just won an Oscar,” he said.
Lawrence denied having a sexual relationship with Weinstein in a statement made on Friday.
According to Variety, Lawrence remarked, “My heart breaks for all the women who have been victimized by Harvey Weinstein. 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.”
Weinstein’s representatives did not immediately reply to a request for comment from PEOPLE, but in a statement to Vulture, he rejected the lawsuit’s accusations.
“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,” the statement read. “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.”
Jane Doe, the latest accuser, is suing both Weinstein and The Weinstein Company, the film business he co-founded with his brother Bob, according to court records. She claims she was sexually assaulted and discriminated against.
The complaint is “malicious” according to a Weinstein spokeswoman, and the movie mogul is “embarrassed” for Lawrence, who has “sadly been dragged into this ugly attempt at defamation”
“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,” they added.
“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.”
This information was revealed after a number of other Weinstein accusers sought to prevent him from releasing his private emails owing to worries about confidentiality.
Weinstein has asked a bankruptcy court in the US state of Delaware to allow him to recover files from The Weinstein Company.
After stating that his attorneys told them he “intended to unleash these emails in the media to sway the court of public opinion,” the ladies have requested a judge to deny his motion.