News Analysis India

Tag: MeToo

  • Julia Ormond sues Weinstein saying he assaulted her; accuses CAA, Disney, Miramax of enabling

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: Julia Ormond, who starred in films alongside the likes of Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford in the 1990s before her spotlight faded, filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in 1995 and then hindering her career.

    Ormond, who also accuses The Walt Disney Co., Miramax and her former agents of knowing Weinstein was a problem but doing nothing about it, filed the case in state Supreme Court in Manhattan under the Adult Survivors Act, a law passed last year that allows a temporary window for those who allege sexual assault to file past the state’s normal deadlines.

    In her lawsuit, Ormond says she was a star on the rise when she met Weinstein in 1994. She says she kept in touch with him to discuss scripts and projects, and in 1995 entered into a production agreement with Miramax, where he was co-chairman. She accuses him of committing sexual battery against her in December 1995 after a business meeting, and then retaliating against her and negatively affecting her career after she confronted him weeks later.

    Weinstein attorney Imran Ansari said his client “categorically denies the allegations made against him by Julia Ormond and he is prepared to vehemently defend himself.”

    The British actress says she told her U.S. agents at the time, Creative Artists Agency, but received no support and was advised not to take any legal action or other steps. She accuses CAA, Disney and Miramax, saying that they knew Weinstein presented a danger to women but did nothing to stop him or to help her.

    According to the filing, “none of these prominent companies warned Ormond that Weinstein had a history of assaulting women because he was too important, too powerful, and made them too much money.”

    CAA responded in a statement that the agency “takes all allegations of sexual assault and abuse seriously, and has compassion for Ms. Ormond.”

    The statement said the agency hired attorneys to investigate her claims when she first came to them in March, and they found only “evidence of a dynamic and engaged relationship between CAA and Ms. Ormond, and the agency’s consistent efforts to support her career.”

    “Ms. Ormond’s claims against CAA are baseless, and the agency will vigorously refute them in court,” the statement said.

    The lawsuit marks the first time Ormond has publicly accused Weinstein of sexual assault. The Associated Press generally doesn’t name the alleged victims of sexual assault, but it is in this case because Ormond has spoken publicly about it, including in an interview with Variety.

    Weinstein, 71, was convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York in 2020 and is in prison in the state. Last year, he also was convicted of another rape in Los Angeles. He has appealed both convictions.

    Dozens of women have sued Weinstein, many of them actors, but few have named such a broad list of defendants as Ormond. Suing her own former agents is an especially unusual move.

    Emails seeking comment were also sent to Disney and Miramax.

    Ormond’s films include “Legends of the Fall” with Pitt; “Sabrina” with Ford; and “First Knight” with Sean Connery and Richard Gere.

    NEW YORK: Julia Ormond, who starred in films alongside the likes of Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford in the 1990s before her spotlight faded, filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in 1995 and then hindering her career.

    Ormond, who also accuses The Walt Disney Co., Miramax and her former agents of knowing Weinstein was a problem but doing nothing about it, filed the case in state Supreme Court in Manhattan under the Adult Survivors Act, a law passed last year that allows a temporary window for those who allege sexual assault to file past the state’s normal deadlines.

    In her lawsuit, Ormond says she was a star on the rise when she met Weinstein in 1994. She says she kept in touch with him to discuss scripts and projects, and in 1995 entered into a production agreement with Miramax, where he was co-chairman. She accuses him of committing sexual battery against her in December 1995 after a business meeting, and then retaliating against her and negatively affecting her career after she confronted him weeks later.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Weinstein attorney Imran Ansari said his client “categorically denies the allegations made against him by Julia Ormond and he is prepared to vehemently defend himself.”

    The British actress says she told her U.S. agents at the time, Creative Artists Agency, but received no support and was advised not to take any legal action or other steps. She accuses CAA, Disney and Miramax, saying that they knew Weinstein presented a danger to women but did nothing to stop him or to help her.

    According to the filing, “none of these prominent companies warned Ormond that Weinstein had a history of assaulting women because he was too important, too powerful, and made them too much money.”

    CAA responded in a statement that the agency “takes all allegations of sexual assault and abuse seriously, and has compassion for Ms. Ormond.”

    The statement said the agency hired attorneys to investigate her claims when she first came to them in March, and they found only “evidence of a dynamic and engaged relationship between CAA and Ms. Ormond, and the agency’s consistent efforts to support her career.”

    “Ms. Ormond’s claims against CAA are baseless, and the agency will vigorously refute them in court,” the statement said.

    The lawsuit marks the first time Ormond has publicly accused Weinstein of sexual assault. The Associated Press generally doesn’t name the alleged victims of sexual assault, but it is in this case because Ormond has spoken publicly about it, including in an interview with Variety.

    Weinstein, 71, was convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York in 2020 and is in prison in the state. Last year, he also was convicted of another rape in Los Angeles. He has appealed both convictions.

    Dozens of women have sued Weinstein, many of them actors, but few have named such a broad list of defendants as Ormond. Suing her own former agents is an especially unusual move.

    Emails seeking comment were also sent to Disney and Miramax.

    Ormond’s films include “Legends of the Fall” with Pitt; “Sabrina” with Ford; and “First Knight” with Sean Connery and Richard Gere.

  • Actor Kevin Spacey faces trial in London over sexual assault cases

    By Associated Press

    LONDON: Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey is going on trial Wednesday in a London court on charges of sexually assaulting four men as long as two decades ago.

    Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges including sexual assault, indecent assault, and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

    He could face a prison sentence if convicted.

    Spacey has said an acquittal in the case could revive a career that has largely been on ice since sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against the star who won his first Academy Award for a supporting actor in “The Usual Suspects” in 1995.

    “There are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London,” Spacey said in a rare interview published this month in Germany’s Zeit magazine.

    He said the media had turned him into a “monster.”

    The charges involving men now in their 30s or 40s date from 2001 to 2013 – covering most of the decade when he lived in Britain and served as artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre until 2015.

    The jury trial in Southwark Crown Court is scheduled to last four weeks.

    ALSO READ | Kevin Spacey ‘confident’ he can clear his name

    The actor – charged under his full name, Kevin Spacey Fowler – is free on bail.

    Spacey’s downfall came amid the #MeToo movement in the United States when allegations led to him being written off the Netflix political thriller “House of Cards”, where he played the lead character Frank Underwood, a ruthless and corrupt congressional representative who becomes president.

    He was cut from the completed film “All the Money in the World”, and the scenes reshot with Christopher Plummer.

    Spacey became one of the most celebrated actors of his generation in the 1990s, starring in films including “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “LA Confidential”.

    He won his second Oscar, for Best Actor, in the 1999 movie “American Beauty”.

    Spacey recently had his first film role in several years, appearing in 2022 in Italian director Franco Nero’s “The Man Who Drew God”, and playing the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman in the biopic “Once Upon a Time in Croatia”.

    He also stars in the unreleased US film “Peter Five Eight”.

    Italy’s National Cinema Museum in Turin gave him its lifetime achievement award in January.

    He also taught a masterclass and introduced a sold-out screening of “American Beauty” in what was billed as Spacey’s first speaking engagement in five years.

    LONDON: Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey is going on trial Wednesday in a London court on charges of sexually assaulting four men as long as two decades ago.

    Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges including sexual assault, indecent assault, and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

    He could face a prison sentence if convicted.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Spacey has said an acquittal in the case could revive a career that has largely been on ice since sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against the star who won his first Academy Award for a supporting actor in “The Usual Suspects” in 1995.

    “There are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London,” Spacey said in a rare interview published this month in Germany’s Zeit magazine.

    He said the media had turned him into a “monster.”

    The charges involving men now in their 30s or 40s date from 2001 to 2013 – covering most of the decade when he lived in Britain and served as artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre until 2015.

    The jury trial in Southwark Crown Court is scheduled to last four weeks.

    ALSO READ | Kevin Spacey ‘confident’ he can clear his name

    The actor – charged under his full name, Kevin Spacey Fowler – is free on bail.

    Spacey’s downfall came amid the #MeToo movement in the United States when allegations led to him being written off the Netflix political thriller “House of Cards”, where he played the lead character Frank Underwood, a ruthless and corrupt congressional representative who becomes president.

    He was cut from the completed film “All the Money in the World”, and the scenes reshot with Christopher Plummer.

    Spacey became one of the most celebrated actors of his generation in the 1990s, starring in films including “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “LA Confidential”.

    He won his second Oscar, for Best Actor, in the 1999 movie “American Beauty”.

    Spacey recently had his first film role in several years, appearing in 2022 in Italian director Franco Nero’s “The Man Who Drew God”, and playing the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman in the biopic “Once Upon a Time in Croatia”.

    He also stars in the unreleased US film “Peter Five Eight”.

    Italy’s National Cinema Museum in Turin gave him its lifetime achievement award in January.

    He also taught a masterclass and introduced a sold-out screening of “American Beauty” in what was billed as Spacey’s first speaking engagement in five years.

  • Top French court drops rape case against Filmmaker Luc Besson

    By AFP

    PARIS: France’s top appeals court on Wednesday rejected a request to reopen a rape claim against film director Luc Besson, ending one of the most high-profile cases to emerge in the country’s MeToo movement against sexual assault.

    Dutch-Belgian actress Sand Van Roy accused Besson, director of “The Fifth Element” and “Leon” — of raping her during a two-year on-off relationship, and filed a complaint against him in May 2018.

    Prosecutors dropped the case in February 2019 citing a lack of evidence, and after new charges were filed by Van Roy, an appeals court also closed that case in May last year.

    In a ruling seen by AFP, the Cour de Cassation, the court of last resort for criminal cases, said there was “no reason to justify pursuing an appeal” of the previous rulings.

    “The Cour de Cassation has decided not to hear my appeal, which means once again the French judiciary refuses to examine the evidence in this case,” Van Roy said on Twitter.

    “I will pursue these cases and will file a request with the European Court of Human Rights,” she said.

    A lawyer for Besson, who has denied the claims, said the decision “ends all the procedures of the past five years, which have found him not guilty”.

    Besson has admitted having a relationship with Van Roy, who had minor roles in his films “Taxi 5” and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”.

    She filed the initial complaint for rape in May 2018 hours after meeting Besson, before filing another complaint two months later for other alleged rapes and sexual assaults.

    At least three other women have made allegations of sexual harassment against Besson, which he has also denied.

    PARIS: France’s top appeals court on Wednesday rejected a request to reopen a rape claim against film director Luc Besson, ending one of the most high-profile cases to emerge in the country’s MeToo movement against sexual assault.

    Dutch-Belgian actress Sand Van Roy accused Besson, director of “The Fifth Element” and “Leon” — of raping her during a two-year on-off relationship, and filed a complaint against him in May 2018.

    Prosecutors dropped the case in February 2019 citing a lack of evidence, and after new charges were filed by Van Roy, an appeals court also closed that case in May last year.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    In a ruling seen by AFP, the Cour de Cassation, the court of last resort for criminal cases, said there was “no reason to justify pursuing an appeal” of the previous rulings.

    “The Cour de Cassation has decided not to hear my appeal, which means once again the French judiciary refuses to examine the evidence in this case,” Van Roy said on Twitter.

    “I will pursue these cases and will file a request with the European Court of Human Rights,” she said.

    A lawyer for Besson, who has denied the claims, said the decision “ends all the procedures of the past five years, which have found him not guilty”.

    Besson has admitted having a relationship with Van Roy, who had minor roles in his films “Taxi 5” and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”.

    She filed the initial complaint for rape in May 2018 hours after meeting Besson, before filing another complaint two months later for other alleged rapes and sexual assaults.

    At least three other women have made allegations of sexual harassment against Besson, which he has also denied.

  • Cannes director defends festival after Adele Haenel slams French film industry’s #MeToo response

    By Associated Press

    FRANCE: After one of France’s top actors, Adele Haenel, announced she was quitting the French film industry that she denounced for “complacency toward sexual aggressors,” Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Fremaux rejected her criticisms while addressing members of the media Monday.

    Haenel, star of the 2019 Cannes entry “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” last week published an open letter in the Telerama magazine in which the 34-year-old said Cannes and other pillars of the French film industry are “ready to do anything to defend their rapist chiefs.

    ” Fremaux strongly disagreed while speaking to journalists before the festival kicks off Tuesday with the premiere of Maiwenn’s historical drama “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp.

    “No doubt for somewhat radical reasons, she had to make this comment about Cannes, which was obviously false,” said Fremaux.

    In 2019, Haenel accused French director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her for years beginning at 12.

    Ruggia has denied it. Since then, Haenel has often vocally protested what she’s called an insufficient response to sexual abuse in French filmmaking.

    At the Cesar Awards 2020, she walked out of the ceremony after Roman Polanski won best director.

    ALSO READ: Marion Cotillard lauds Adele Haenel for speaking on sexual harassment

    In his remarks, Fremaux only specifically addressed Haenel’s criticism of Cannes.

    When she came to the festival with Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” he said: “She didn’t think that when she came to Cannes unless she suffered from a crazy dissonance.

    “The proof is that if you believed it, you would not be here, listening to me now, taking your accreditation and complaining about the press screenings for a festival of rapists,” Fremaux said to the gathered reporters.

    How the #MeToo movement has reverberated in Cannes, one of the world’s oldest and most glamorous film festivals, has been a subject of debate.

    Harvey Weinstein was for years a prominent presence at Cannes, and some of the incidents of sexual abuse allegations against the producer took place during the festival.

    Cannes also has traditionally had a low rate of female filmmakers in its prestigious competition line-up, where only two female directors have won the Palme d’Or: Jane Campion in 1993 with “The Piano” and Julia Ducournau in 2021 with “Titane.”

     In 2018, 82 women led a protest on the Cannes red carpet.

    The following year, Fremaux bowing to pressure, signed a pledge promising to strive toward greater gender parity. Fremaux acknowledged that the festival once had a problem with gender inclusivity.

    “Maybe I was clumsy,” he said.

    This year, there are a record seven films directed by women out of the 21 movies in competition, which he said reflects the growing prominence of female filmmakers around the world.

    Now, he added, “When we hesitate between a film made by a man or a woman, we’ll select the film made by the woman. But only when we hesitate. This all denotes progress,” said Fremaux.

    At the same time, Cannes has sometimes been accused of being too welcoming to some of the men who have been accused of misconduct.

    Polanski returned to the festival in 2017.

    This year, some had been expecting Woody Allen’s latest film to premiere in Cannes but it didn’t make it to the line-up.

    Asked about it, Fremaux said he would only address films in the selection.

    Fremaux was, though, questioned about the selection of “Jeanne du Barry” as the opening night film.

    The film, which co-stars Maiwenn, is Depp’s first since his high-profile trial with Amber Heard, his ex-wife.

    After both Depp and Heard accused each other of physical and verbal abuse, a civil jury awarded Depp USD 10 million in damages and $2 million to Heard.

    In December, they reached a settlement.

    “To tell you the truth, in my life, I only have one rule, it’s the freedom of thinking, the freedom of speech and the freedom to act within a legal framework,” said Fremaux.

    “If Johnny Depp had been banned from acting in a film, or the film was banned we wouldn’t be here talking about it,” he said.

    FRANCE: After one of France’s top actors, Adele Haenel, announced she was quitting the French film industry that she denounced for “complacency toward sexual aggressors,” Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Fremaux rejected her criticisms while addressing members of the media Monday.

    Haenel, star of the 2019 Cannes entry “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” last week published an open letter in the Telerama magazine in which the 34-year-old said Cannes and other pillars of the French film industry are “ready to do anything to defend their rapist chiefs.

    ” Fremaux strongly disagreed while speaking to journalists before the festival kicks off Tuesday with the premiere of Maiwenn’s historical drama “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “No doubt for somewhat radical reasons, she had to make this comment about Cannes, which was obviously false,” said Fremaux.

    In 2019, Haenel accused French director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her for years beginning at 12.

    Ruggia has denied it. Since then, Haenel has often vocally protested what she’s called an insufficient response to sexual abuse in French filmmaking.

    At the Cesar Awards 2020, she walked out of the ceremony after Roman Polanski won best director.

    ALSO READ: Marion Cotillard lauds Adele Haenel for speaking on sexual harassment

    In his remarks, Fremaux only specifically addressed Haenel’s criticism of Cannes.

    When she came to the festival with Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” he said: “She didn’t think that when she came to Cannes unless she suffered from a crazy dissonance.

    “The proof is that if you believed it, you would not be here, listening to me now, taking your accreditation and complaining about the press screenings for a festival of rapists,” Fremaux said to the gathered reporters.

    How the #MeToo movement has reverberated in Cannes, one of the world’s oldest and most glamorous film festivals, has been a subject of debate.

    Harvey Weinstein was for years a prominent presence at Cannes, and some of the incidents of sexual abuse allegations against the producer took place during the festival.

    Cannes also has traditionally had a low rate of female filmmakers in its prestigious competition line-up, where only two female directors have won the Palme d’Or: Jane Campion in 1993 with “The Piano” and Julia Ducournau in 2021 with “Titane.”

     In 2018, 82 women led a protest on the Cannes red carpet.

    The following year, Fremaux bowing to pressure, signed a pledge promising to strive toward greater gender parity. Fremaux acknowledged that the festival once had a problem with gender inclusivity.

    “Maybe I was clumsy,” he said.

    This year, there are a record seven films directed by women out of the 21 movies in competition, which he said reflects the growing prominence of female filmmakers around the world.

    Now, he added, “When we hesitate between a film made by a man or a woman, we’ll select the film made by the woman. But only when we hesitate. This all denotes progress,” said Fremaux.

    At the same time, Cannes has sometimes been accused of being too welcoming to some of the men who have been accused of misconduct.

    Polanski returned to the festival in 2017.

    This year, some had been expecting Woody Allen’s latest film to premiere in Cannes but it didn’t make it to the line-up.

    Asked about it, Fremaux said he would only address films in the selection.

    Fremaux was, though, questioned about the selection of “Jeanne du Barry” as the opening night film.

    The film, which co-stars Maiwenn, is Depp’s first since his high-profile trial with Amber Heard, his ex-wife.

    After both Depp and Heard accused each other of physical and verbal abuse, a civil jury awarded Depp USD 10 million in damages and $2 million to Heard.

    In December, they reached a settlement.

    “To tell you the truth, in my life, I only have one rule, it’s the freedom of thinking, the freedom of speech and the freedom to act within a legal framework,” said Fremaux.

    “If Johnny Depp had been banned from acting in a film, or the film was banned we wouldn’t be here talking about it,” he said.

  • Sexual harassment claims against WFI chief: Delhi Police tells SC FIR will be registered today

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI” The Delhi Police apprised the Supreme Court that it has decided to register an FIR on Friday over sexual harassment allegations levelled by seven women wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

    Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, told a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that the FIR would be registered today.

    “We have decided to register an FIR. It will be registered today,” Mehta told the bench, which was hearing a plea filed by seven women wrestlers alleging non-registration of an FIR on their sexual harassment allegations against Singh.

    The bench also directed the Delhi Police commissioner to make an assessment of the threat perception and provide adequate security to one of the minor girls, who is an alleged victim of the sexual assault.

    The country’s top wrestlers have been on a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi since Sunday over the matter.

    NEW DELHI” The Delhi Police apprised the Supreme Court that it has decided to register an FIR on Friday over sexual harassment allegations levelled by seven women wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

    Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, told a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that the FIR would be registered today.

    “We have decided to register an FIR. It will be registered today,” Mehta told the bench, which was hearing a plea filed by seven women wrestlers alleging non-registration of an FIR on their sexual harassment allegations against Singh.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The bench also directed the Delhi Police commissioner to make an assessment of the threat perception and provide adequate security to one of the minor girls, who is an alleged victim of the sexual assault.

    The country’s top wrestlers have been on a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi since Sunday over the matter.

  • #MeToo: Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years in LA hotel room rape case

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Thursday to 16 more years in prison for the rape of a woman in a Beverly Hills hotel room, increasing the likelihood that the disgraced Hollywood mogul will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

    Weinstein was ordered by a Los Angeles court to serve the latest sentence — for the assault of a European actress a decade ago — after he has completed his 23-year sentence for another sex crimes conviction in New York.

    Attending court in a wheelchair, the 70-year-old Oscar-winning “Shakespeare in Love” producer begged the judge for “mercy.”

    “Please don’t sentence me to life in prison. I don’t deserve it. There are so many things wrong with this case,” he said.

    But Judge Lisa Lench handed him three consecutive sentences totalling 16 years for forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by a foreign object, and forcible rape.

    The actress, whose identity was not revealed, had tearfully called on the judge to give Weinstein “the maximum sentence allowable.”

    “His selfish, disgusting actions have greatly impacted my life,” she said.

    “There is no prison sentence long enough to undo the damage.”

    ALSO READ | #MeToo: California governor’s wife among accusers at Harvey Weinstein’s trial

    Weinstein’s lawyers said they plan to file an immediate appeal of the Los Angeles conviction — which was announced by a jury in December — and sentence.

    The trial had heard explicit accounts of meetings between the previously influential movie producer and several young women who were attempting to find a foothold in Hollywood.

    Prosecutors said Weinstein exploited and abused women for years, and long enjoyed impunity because of his then-powerful position in the industry.

    The women would have risked losing their future Hollywood job prospects if they had publicly accused Weinstein at the time, prosecutors said.

    Weinstein was ultimately convicted in the Los Angeles case of assaulting one woman, but acquitted of sexual battery involving a second.

    The jury did not reach a verdict on charges relating to the alleged assaults of two other women, one of whom was identified by her lawyers as Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the now-wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom.

    A defense motion requesting a new trial or a reduced verdict was denied on Thursday immediately before the sentencing went ahead.

    Weinstein’s lawyers claimed they were precluded from admitting important evidence about the rape victim — including Facebook messages with an alleged lover which the judge deemed irrelevant — and that their cross-examination was limited.

    But Lench said the evidence had been “properly excluded.”

    #MeTooWeinstein’s behaviour had been the topic of rumours in entertainment circles for years, but his power player status in Hollywood ensured few were willing to publicly call him out.

    Bombshell allegations broke against him in 2017, launching the #MeToo movement and paving the way for hundreds of women to fight back against sexual violence in the workplace.

    Dozens of women have now accused Weinstein of predatory behaviour.

    In New York last June, Weinstein lost his first appeal against his criminal verdict and sentence in the state’s intermediate appellate court.

    But he has also further appealed that case to the higher New York Court of Appeals.

    After his conviction in New York, a civil trial awarded $17 million to dozens of other women who had accused the former movie magnate of abuse.

    Earlier this month, the European actress who Weinstein was convicted of raping in Los Angeles also sued him for damages.

    The civil case alleges sexual battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.

    “The conduct of Defendant Weinstein was despicable, and done with malice, oppression and fraud, thus justifying an award of punitive damages against him,” her lawsuit says.

    LOS ANGELES: Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Thursday to 16 more years in prison for the rape of a woman in a Beverly Hills hotel room, increasing the likelihood that the disgraced Hollywood mogul will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

    Weinstein was ordered by a Los Angeles court to serve the latest sentence — for the assault of a European actress a decade ago — after he has completed his 23-year sentence for another sex crimes conviction in New York.

    Attending court in a wheelchair, the 70-year-old Oscar-winning “Shakespeare in Love” producer begged the judge for “mercy.”

    “Please don’t sentence me to life in prison. I don’t deserve it. There are so many things wrong with this case,” he said.

    But Judge Lisa Lench handed him three consecutive sentences totalling 16 years for forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by a foreign object, and forcible rape.

    The actress, whose identity was not revealed, had tearfully called on the judge to give Weinstein “the maximum sentence allowable.”

    “His selfish, disgusting actions have greatly impacted my life,” she said.

    “There is no prison sentence long enough to undo the damage.”

    ALSO READ | #MeToo: California governor’s wife among accusers at Harvey Weinstein’s trial

    Weinstein’s lawyers said they plan to file an immediate appeal of the Los Angeles conviction — which was announced by a jury in December — and sentence.

    The trial had heard explicit accounts of meetings between the previously influential movie producer and several young women who were attempting to find a foothold in Hollywood.

    Prosecutors said Weinstein exploited and abused women for years, and long enjoyed impunity because of his then-powerful position in the industry.

    The women would have risked losing their future Hollywood job prospects if they had publicly accused Weinstein at the time, prosecutors said.

    Weinstein was ultimately convicted in the Los Angeles case of assaulting one woman, but acquitted of sexual battery involving a second.

    The jury did not reach a verdict on charges relating to the alleged assaults of two other women, one of whom was identified by her lawyers as Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the now-wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom.

    A defense motion requesting a new trial or a reduced verdict was denied on Thursday immediately before the sentencing went ahead.

    Weinstein’s lawyers claimed they were precluded from admitting important evidence about the rape victim — including Facebook messages with an alleged lover which the judge deemed irrelevant — and that their cross-examination was limited.

    But Lench said the evidence had been “properly excluded.”

    #MeToo
    Weinstein’s behaviour had been the topic of rumours in entertainment circles for years, but his power player status in Hollywood ensured few were willing to publicly call him out.

    Bombshell allegations broke against him in 2017, launching the #MeToo movement and paving the way for hundreds of women to fight back against sexual violence in the workplace.

    Dozens of women have now accused Weinstein of predatory behaviour.

    In New York last June, Weinstein lost his first appeal against his criminal verdict and sentence in the state’s intermediate appellate court.

    But he has also further appealed that case to the higher New York Court of Appeals.

    After his conviction in New York, a civil trial awarded $17 million to dozens of other women who had accused the former movie magnate of abuse.

    Earlier this month, the European actress who Weinstein was convicted of raping in Los Angeles also sued him for damages.

    The civil case alleges sexual battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.

    “The conduct of Defendant Weinstein was despicable, and done with malice, oppression and fraud, thus justifying an award of punitive damages against him,” her lawsuit says.

  • ‘I didn’t fight, just absolutely froze’: Brooke Shields describes rape in Sundance documentary

    By AFP

    PARK CITY: Brooke Shields revealed she was raped as a young Hollywood actress in new documentary “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields,” which premiered on day two of the Sundance film festival Friday.

    The former supermodel did not reveal the identity of her attacker but said she met with the man — someone she already knew — soon after she graduated college, believing it was a work meeting to discuss casting her in a new movie.

    He took her back to his hotel, claiming he would call her a taxi from his room. He instead disappeared to the bathroom before returning naked and assaulting her, she said.

    “I didn’t fight that much… I just absolutely froze. I thought that my one ‘no’ should have been enough. And I just thought ‘stay alive and get out,” Shields recalled in the documentary.

    After the incident, Shields recalled phoning her friend and security head Gavin de Becker, who told her: “That’s rape.”

     Brooke Shields appears in a scene from the documentary “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields” by Lana Wilson | AP

    She replied “I’m not willing to believe that,” and has not spoken of the incident publicly until now.

    The revelation — which echoes #MeToo revelations by prominent and lesser-known Hollywood actresses in recent years — is one of several shocking moments in the film, which will be released on the Hulu streaming platform in two parts.

    Part one examines the intense sexualization Shields experienced as a young girl, including a provocative nude photoshoot at age 10, and her appearance as a child prostitute in the film “Pretty Baby” at age 11.

    The documentary shows a young Shields being asked lascivious questions by much older male chat show hosts about her roles in movies such as “The Blue Lagoon” and “Endless Love,” and the series of controversial Calvin Klein jeans commercials she starred in.

    After experiencing global fame as a teenager, Shields attended university at Princeton, and initially struggled to find acting roles again after she graduated — leading to the meeting with her alleged rapist.

    Perseverance

    “My personal message is perseverance, and not allowing yourself to become a victim to a society or an industry,” she said ahead of the film’s premiere at the festival in Utah.

    “I’m proud of how I kept learning, kept growing, kept striving and kept loving what I do,” Shields said.

    The movie, which earned Shields a standing ovation at Sundance, also chronicles the media’s later obsession with her virginity, her mother’s alcoholism, and her first marriage to tennis star Andre Agassi.

    Brooke Shields, right poses with director Lana Wilson at the premiere of the film at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 20, 2023, in Park City | AP

    It features several of Shields’ famous friends including Lionel Richie, Laura Linney and Drew Barrymore.

    Co-founded by Robert Redford, Sundance is a key launching pad for independent movies and documentaries.

    Also on Thursday was the premiere of “Justice,” a surprise late addition to the festival line-up, which explores the sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

    The first documentary “The Bourne Identity” director Doug Liman, it features testimony from Deborah Ramirez, one of Kavanaugh’s accusers and a former Yale classmate.

    WATCH | Brooke Shields breaks down as daughter Rowan leaves for college, shares emotional video

    It also includes audio of another classmate, who said he saw Kavanaugh expose himself to a different, “extremely drunk” woman student at another party, but whose account was only reported in US media months after Kavanaugh’s polarizing 2018 Senate confirmation hearing.

    The woman, who is not named, has said she does not remember the incident.

    “This was the kind of movie where people are terrified” to speak out, Liman said.

    Kavanaugh has categorically denied engaging in sexual misconduct.

    The 2023 Sundance Film Festival is the first to be held in person for three years, as recent editions were forced online by Covid. It runs until January 29.

    PARK CITY: Brooke Shields revealed she was raped as a young Hollywood actress in new documentary “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields,” which premiered on day two of the Sundance film festival Friday.

    The former supermodel did not reveal the identity of her attacker but said she met with the man — someone she already knew — soon after she graduated college, believing it was a work meeting to discuss casting her in a new movie.

    He took her back to his hotel, claiming he would call her a taxi from his room. He instead disappeared to the bathroom before returning naked and assaulting her, she said.

    “I didn’t fight that much… I just absolutely froze. I thought that my one ‘no’ should have been enough. And I just thought ‘stay alive and get out,” Shields recalled in the documentary.

    After the incident, Shields recalled phoning her friend and security head Gavin de Becker, who told her: “That’s rape.”

     Brooke Shields appears in a scene from the documentary “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields” by Lana Wilson | AP

    She replied “I’m not willing to believe that,” and has not spoken of the incident publicly until now.

    The revelation — which echoes #MeToo revelations by prominent and lesser-known Hollywood actresses in recent years — is one of several shocking moments in the film, which will be released on the Hulu streaming platform in two parts.

    Part one examines the intense sexualization Shields experienced as a young girl, including a provocative nude photoshoot at age 10, and her appearance as a child prostitute in the film “Pretty Baby” at age 11.

    The documentary shows a young Shields being asked lascivious questions by much older male chat show hosts about her roles in movies such as “The Blue Lagoon” and “Endless Love,” and the series of controversial Calvin Klein jeans commercials she starred in.

    After experiencing global fame as a teenager, Shields attended university at Princeton, and initially struggled to find acting roles again after she graduated — leading to the meeting with her alleged rapist.

    Perseverance

    “My personal message is perseverance, and not allowing yourself to become a victim to a society or an industry,” she said ahead of the film’s premiere at the festival in Utah.

    “I’m proud of how I kept learning, kept growing, kept striving and kept loving what I do,” Shields said.

    The movie, which earned Shields a standing ovation at Sundance, also chronicles the media’s later obsession with her virginity, her mother’s alcoholism, and her first marriage to tennis star Andre Agassi.

    Brooke Shields, right poses with director Lana Wilson at the premiere of the film at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 20, 2023, in Park City | AP

    It features several of Shields’ famous friends including Lionel Richie, Laura Linney and Drew Barrymore.

    Co-founded by Robert Redford, Sundance is a key launching pad for independent movies and documentaries.

    Also on Thursday was the premiere of “Justice,” a surprise late addition to the festival line-up, which explores the sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

    The first documentary “The Bourne Identity” director Doug Liman, it features testimony from Deborah Ramirez, one of Kavanaugh’s accusers and a former Yale classmate.

    WATCH | Brooke Shields breaks down as daughter Rowan leaves for college, shares emotional video

    It also includes audio of another classmate, who said he saw Kavanaugh expose himself to a different, “extremely drunk” woman student at another party, but whose account was only reported in US media months after Kavanaugh’s polarizing 2018 Senate confirmation hearing.

    The woman, who is not named, has said she does not remember the incident.

    “This was the kind of movie where people are terrified” to speak out, Liman said.

    Kavanaugh has categorically denied engaging in sexual misconduct.

    The 2023 Sundance Film Festival is the first to be held in person for three years, as recent editions were forced online by Covid. It runs until January 29.

  • Brooke Shields reveals she was raped as a young Hollywood actress in new documentary

    By AFP

    PARK CITY: Brooke Shields revealed she was raped as a young Hollywood actress in new documentary “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields,” which premiered on day two of the Sundance film festival Friday.

    The former supermodel did not reveal the identity of her attacker but said she met with the man — someone she already knew — soon after she graduated college, believing it was a work meeting to discuss casting her in a new movie.

    He took her back to his hotel, claiming he would call her a taxi from his room. He instead disappeared to the bathroom before returning naked and assaulting her, she said.

    “I didn’t fight that much… I just absolutely froze. I thought that my one ‘no’ should have been enough. And I just thought ‘stay alive and get out,” Shields recalled in the documentary.

    After the incident, Shields recalled phoning her friend and security head Gavin de Becker, who told her: “That’s rape.”

     Brooke Shields appears in a scene from the documentary “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields” by Lana Wilson | AP

    She replied “I’m not willing to believe that,” and has not spoken of the incident publicly until now.

    The revelation — which echoes #MeToo revelations by prominent and lesser-known Hollywood actresses in recent years — is one of several shocking moments in the film, which will be released on the Hulu streaming platform in two parts.

    Part one examines the intense sexualization Shields experienced as a young girl, including a provocative nude photoshoot at age 10, and her appearance as a child prostitute in the film “Pretty Baby” at age 11.

    The documentary shows a young Shields being asked lascivious questions by much older male chat show hosts about her roles in movies such as “The Blue Lagoon” and “Endless Love,” and the series of controversial Calvin Klein jeans commercials she starred in.

    After experiencing global fame as a teenager, Shields attended university at Princeton, and initially struggled to find acting roles again after she graduated — leading to the meeting with her alleged rapist.

    Perseverance

    “My personal message is perseverance, and not allowing yourself to become a victim to a society or an industry,” she said ahead of the film’s premiere at the festival in Utah.

    “I’m proud of how I kept learning, kept growing, kept striving and kept loving what I do,” Shields said.

    The movie, which earned Shields a standing ovation at Sundance, also chronicles the media’s later obsession with her virginity, her mother’s alcoholism, and her first marriage to tennis star Andre Agassi.

    Brooke Shields, right poses with director Lana Wilson at the premiere of the film at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 20, 2023, in Park City | AP

    It features several of Shields’ famous friends including Lionel Richie, Laura Linney and Drew Barrymore.

    Co-founded by Robert Redford, Sundance is a key launching pad for independent movies and documentaries.

    Also on Thursday was the premiere of “Justice,” a surprise late addition to the festival line-up, which explores the sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

    The first documentary “The Bourne Identity” director Doug Liman, it features testimony from Deborah Ramirez, one of Kavanaugh’s accusers and a former Yale classmate.

    WATCH | Brooke Shields breaks down as daughter Rowan leaves for college, shares emotional video

    It also includes audio of another classmate, who said he saw Kavanaugh expose himself to a different, “extremely drunk” woman student at another party, but whose account was only reported in US media months after Kavanaugh’s polarizing 2018 Senate confirmation hearing.

    The woman, who is not named, has said she does not remember the incident.

    “This was the kind of movie where people are terrified” to speak out, Liman said.

    Kavanaugh has categorically denied engaging in sexual misconduct.

    The 2023 Sundance Film Festival is the first to be held in person for three years, as recent editions were forced online by Covid. It runs until January 29.

    PARK CITY: Brooke Shields revealed she was raped as a young Hollywood actress in new documentary “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields,” which premiered on day two of the Sundance film festival Friday.

    The former supermodel did not reveal the identity of her attacker but said she met with the man — someone she already knew — soon after she graduated college, believing it was a work meeting to discuss casting her in a new movie.

    He took her back to his hotel, claiming he would call her a taxi from his room. He instead disappeared to the bathroom before returning naked and assaulting her, she said.

    “I didn’t fight that much… I just absolutely froze. I thought that my one ‘no’ should have been enough. And I just thought ‘stay alive and get out,” Shields recalled in the documentary.

    After the incident, Shields recalled phoning her friend and security head Gavin de Becker, who told her: “That’s rape.”

     Brooke Shields appears in a scene from the documentary “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields” by Lana Wilson | AP

    She replied “I’m not willing to believe that,” and has not spoken of the incident publicly until now.

    The revelation — which echoes #MeToo revelations by prominent and lesser-known Hollywood actresses in recent years — is one of several shocking moments in the film, which will be released on the Hulu streaming platform in two parts.

    Part one examines the intense sexualization Shields experienced as a young girl, including a provocative nude photoshoot at age 10, and her appearance as a child prostitute in the film “Pretty Baby” at age 11.

    The documentary shows a young Shields being asked lascivious questions by much older male chat show hosts about her roles in movies such as “The Blue Lagoon” and “Endless Love,” and the series of controversial Calvin Klein jeans commercials she starred in.

    After experiencing global fame as a teenager, Shields attended university at Princeton, and initially struggled to find acting roles again after she graduated — leading to the meeting with her alleged rapist.

    Perseverance

    “My personal message is perseverance, and not allowing yourself to become a victim to a society or an industry,” she said ahead of the film’s premiere at the festival in Utah.

    “I’m proud of how I kept learning, kept growing, kept striving and kept loving what I do,” Shields said.

    The movie, which earned Shields a standing ovation at Sundance, also chronicles the media’s later obsession with her virginity, her mother’s alcoholism, and her first marriage to tennis star Andre Agassi.

    Brooke Shields, right poses with director Lana Wilson at the premiere of the film at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 20, 2023, in Park City | AP

    It features several of Shields’ famous friends including Lionel Richie, Laura Linney and Drew Barrymore.

    Co-founded by Robert Redford, Sundance is a key launching pad for independent movies and documentaries.

    Also on Thursday was the premiere of “Justice,” a surprise late addition to the festival line-up, which explores the sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

    The first documentary “The Bourne Identity” director Doug Liman, it features testimony from Deborah Ramirez, one of Kavanaugh’s accusers and a former Yale classmate.

    WATCH | Brooke Shields breaks down as daughter Rowan leaves for college, shares emotional video

    It also includes audio of another classmate, who said he saw Kavanaugh expose himself to a different, “extremely drunk” woman student at another party, but whose account was only reported in US media months after Kavanaugh’s polarizing 2018 Senate confirmation hearing.

    The woman, who is not named, has said she does not remember the incident.

    “This was the kind of movie where people are terrified” to speak out, Liman said.

    Kavanaugh has categorically denied engaging in sexual misconduct.

    The 2023 Sundance Film Festival is the first to be held in person for three years, as recent editions were forced online by Covid. It runs until January 29.

  • WFI chief will respond to sexual harassment allegations on Jan 22, says his son

    By PTI

    GONDA: Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will issue a statement on allegations of sexual harassment against him after the sports body’s Annual General Meeting on January 22, his son Prateek said on Friday.

    The allegations have been made by some of the country’s top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Ravi Dahiya. The WFI chief had called for a press conference in his native Gonda this morning.

    However, after delaying it for seven hours, his son, who is a BJP MLA from the Gonda Sadar constituency, came onto the stage to make the announcement.

    Addressing the media, Prateek said, “I am here on behalf of my father and I would like to inform you all that we will issue a written statement only after the AGM of WFI on January 22.”

    “We want to discuss the issue with members from all across India and then take any decision. Whatever decision we will take, we will inform the press through a written statement,” he said.

    Earlier in the day, Singh reached Nandini College premises and met players who had come for a three-day wrestling championship.

    The WFI chief termed the protest by the country’s top grapplers “dharna of Shaheen Bagh” and reiterated that he won’t quit his post.

    ALSO READ | Will ‘expose political conspiracy’ in press conference, says WFI president

    GONDA: Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will issue a statement on allegations of sexual harassment against him after the sports body’s Annual General Meeting on January 22, his son Prateek said on Friday.

    The allegations have been made by some of the country’s top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Ravi Dahiya. The WFI chief had called for a press conference in his native Gonda this morning.

    However, after delaying it for seven hours, his son, who is a BJP MLA from the Gonda Sadar constituency, came onto the stage to make the announcement.

    Addressing the media, Prateek said, “I am here on behalf of my father and I would like to inform you all that we will issue a written statement only after the AGM of WFI on January 22.”

    “We want to discuss the issue with members from all across India and then take any decision. Whatever decision we will take, we will inform the press through a written statement,” he said.

    Earlier in the day, Singh reached Nandini College premises and met players who had come for a three-day wrestling championship.

    The WFI chief termed the protest by the country’s top grapplers “dharna of Shaheen Bagh” and reiterated that he won’t quit his post.

    ALSO READ | Will ‘expose political conspiracy’ in press conference, says WFI president

  • ‘French Oscars’ bars those investigated for sexual misconduct

    By AFP

    PARIS: The Cesar Awards, France’s version of the Oscars, said Monday that anyone being investigated for allegations of sexual misconduct would be barred from its ceremony next month.

    There were fears of protests at the event on February 25 over the latest #MeToo furore involving newcomer Sofiane Bennacer, who is being investigated by police on two allegations of rape and one of violence against a partner.

    Bennacer, 25, who denies any wrongdoing, had been seen as an awards frontrunner for his part in “Les Amandiers” (titled “Forever Young” abroad) about a sexually promiscuous group of drama students in the 1980s.

    It also follows protests at the 2020 ceremony when Roman Polanski, convicted of raping a child in the 1970s, won the best director — which triggered a major reorganisation of the Cesar Academy.

    In a statement, the Academy said anyone facing a potential prison sentence for “violence, notably of (a) sexual or sexist nature” would be excluded from the coming ceremony.

    “It has been decided not to highlight people who may have been put in question by the judiciary for acts of violence,” it said, adding that the step was being taken “out of respect for the victims”, even if they were only “presumed” victims.

    Bennacer was dropped from the long list of possible nominees in November after fresh allegations surfaced in the media.

    The director of “Les Amandiers”, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi (also said to be Bennacer’s girlfriend), denounced “a media lynching”.

    She admitted on Instagram that the film’s producers were aware of allegations against Bennacer during the casting, “but I told them these rumours would not stop me and I couldn’t envision making the film without him.”

    Her famous sister, singer and former French First Lady Carla Bruni, said the actor’s treatment undermined the presumption of innocence, “one of the foundations of our democracy”.

    The Cesar Academy said it was still debating whether people with sexual misconduct allegations and convictions should be banned entirely from future nominations and awards, with a decision due in the coming weeks.

    PARIS: The Cesar Awards, France’s version of the Oscars, said Monday that anyone being investigated for allegations of sexual misconduct would be barred from its ceremony next month.

    There were fears of protests at the event on February 25 over the latest #MeToo furore involving newcomer Sofiane Bennacer, who is being investigated by police on two allegations of rape and one of violence against a partner.

    Bennacer, 25, who denies any wrongdoing, had been seen as an awards frontrunner for his part in “Les Amandiers” (titled “Forever Young” abroad) about a sexually promiscuous group of drama students in the 1980s.

    It also follows protests at the 2020 ceremony when Roman Polanski, convicted of raping a child in the 1970s, won the best director — which triggered a major reorganisation of the Cesar Academy.

    In a statement, the Academy said anyone facing a potential prison sentence for “violence, notably of (a) sexual or sexist nature” would be excluded from the coming ceremony.

    “It has been decided not to highlight people who may have been put in question by the judiciary for acts of violence,” it said, adding that the step was being taken “out of respect for the victims”, even if they were only “presumed” victims.

    Bennacer was dropped from the long list of possible nominees in November after fresh allegations surfaced in the media.

    The director of “Les Amandiers”, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi (also said to be Bennacer’s girlfriend), denounced “a media lynching”.

    She admitted on Instagram that the film’s producers were aware of allegations against Bennacer during the casting, “but I told them these rumours would not stop me and I couldn’t envision making the film without him.”

    Her famous sister, singer and former French First Lady Carla Bruni, said the actor’s treatment undermined the presumption of innocence, “one of the foundations of our democracy”.

    The Cesar Academy said it was still debating whether people with sexual misconduct allegations and convictions should be banned entirely from future nominations and awards, with a decision due in the coming weeks.