Actress sues Harvey Weinstein claiming he raped her
WATCH Weinstein allegedly hired intelligence agency to target accusers
An unnamed actress has filed a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Co. alleging that the disgraced media mogul sexually assaulted her twice and that the company had prior knowledge of such behavior by Weinstein.
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The complaint, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court by attorney Gloria Allred on behalf of "Jane Doe," alleges sexual battery and assault by Weinstein. It also accuses his former company of negligence.
In response to the lawsuit, a rep for Weinstein repeated his prior statement: "Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein. Mr. Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances. Mr. Weinstein obviously can’t speak to anonymous allegations, but with respect to any women who have made allegations on the record, Mr. Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual."
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According to the suit, Weinstein and the unnamed actress met at a party at a Hollywood hotel in 2011. The document states that Weinstein maintained contact with the actress for several years, including inviting her to parties.
Then, in 2015, according to the complaint, Weinstein invited the actress to a Beverly Hills hotel to discuss several possible acting roles, including one in the Weinstein Co. series "Marco Polo." During the meeting, the suit claims, Weinstein masturbated in front of the actress despite her protestations.
"Despite her telling Weinstein 'no,' Weinstein proceeded to grip her wrist with one hand while using the other to masturbate in front of her until completion," the suit states.
During a second meeting the following spring at the same hotel, Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex and intercourse on the woman before she "broke free from his grasp and immediately left the bedroom and suite," the suit claims. The complaint said Weinstein later called the actress and "acted as if nothing happened." The actress hung up on him, the suit said, and she never received a job offer.
The suit also claims that Weinstein's company was “aware of multiple claims of sexual misconduct against Weinstein" and claims negligence among other causes of action. The unnamed actress is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages for "mental pain and anguish and severe emotional distress."
ABC News' Lesley Messer, Sabina Ghebremedhin and ABC News Radio contributed to this report.
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