A model on Wednesday joined a class action lawsuit against film producer Harvey Weinstein and accused him of sexually assaulting her in his New York City apartment when she was 16 years old, in 2002, The Guardian reported. The film producer’s lawyer has refuted the latest complaint against his client.
The model, who immigrated from Poland, said Weinstein took her to his apartment under the ruse of “discussing her career” and asked her to touch his penis and strip for him. She alleged that the film producer sexually and emotionally harassed her years and ruined her career as an actress because she declined his advances.
The complainant is among 10 women who have accused Weinstein of sexual harassment.
Weinstein, who has been accused of sexually assaulting more than 70 women, surrendered at a police station in New York on May 25. He has been indicted on multiple charges of rape and assault following several allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Weinstein has been charged with first and third degree rape, and a criminal sexual act in the first degree. He faces between five and 25 years in prison if proved guilty of the most serious crimes.
The film producer’s lawyer claimed the latest allegations are “preposterous”. “Eventually, just as others have been exposed to be liars, this uncorroborated allegation that is almost 20 years old will be shown to be patently false,” Benjamin Brafman, Weinstein’s lawyer, said.
Weinstein had pled not guilty to charges of rape and a criminal sexual act in June.
The allegations of sexual assault were first reported by The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2017, which led to the #MeToo and Times Up movements. The movements seek to expose sexual harassment and assault, especially at workplace.
Since the allegations against Weinstein became public, several people from within the American film industry and outside have accused actors and directors such as Dustin Hoffman, Brett Ratner, Geoffrey Rush, Ryan Seacrest, Kevin Spacey and Morgan Freeman of harassment.
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