Paz de la Huerta, an actress who says she was raped by Harvey Weinstein, has added Disney and its executives, current CEO Bob Iger and former CEO Michael Eisner, and Miramax and its former chief, Bob Weinstein, to her 2018 lawsuit against the disgraced movie mogul.
Filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles County’s Superior Court, the updated lawsuit states that both Iger and Eisner “made a series of decisions that allowed a range of actions by Harvey Weinstein that unacceptably harmed certain employees of Miramax.” (Disney acquired Miramax in 1993 and separated from Harvey and Bob Weinstein in 2005. )
Last year, de la Huerta filed the first version of this lawsuit, claiming that she was raped twice by Weinstein, that he had threatened to derail her career, and that she had suffered damages from lost contracts with HBO and Lionsgate for two separate projects. She is seeking $55 million in damages.
The revised complaint says the executives should be considered liable for Weinstein’s actions.
“Although Weinstein was no longer CEO of Miramax, the wrong arose from the bringing together of these two individuals in the course of business of Miramax,” the suit states. “For this reason, The Walt Disney Company and Miramax have respondeat superior liability for the assaults and for the loss of income through [de la Huerta’s] termination of high value multi-year projects.”
In a statement sent to TheWrap, a spokesperson for the Walt Disney Company said, “The Weinsteins operated and managed their business with virtual autonomy. There is absolutely no legal basis for claims against the company and we will defend against them vigorously.”
Miramax declined to comment.
Weinstein is currently on trial and faces seven counts, including first- and third-degree rape and predatory sexual assault. The first day of his criminal trial is scheduled to begin in January of next year. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.