The Walt Disney Company and the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) have both filed a motion to dismiss a claim from British actress Julia Ormond which accuses the companies of knowing Harvey Weinstein presented a danger to women.
In October, Ormond filed a lawsuit accusing the disgraced movie producer of sexually assaulting her in December 1995 at her apartment after a business dinner and then hindering her career.
The 58-year-old also accused the Walt Disney Company and her former agents CAA of knowing Weinstein “was a danger to women in the entertainment industry” but did nothing about it, alongside a claim made against Miramax.
On Tuesday, lawyers for the Walt Disney Company requested an order from the New York Supreme Court to dismiss a claim of “negligent supervision and retention” made by Ormond, while lawyers for CAA also requested the same motion.
Among the reasons cited for the claim to be dismissed, court documents state that Ormond has not proved that the Walt Disney Company knew of instances of sexual battery misconduct from Weinstein prior to December 1995.
“Lacking are any facts describing any knowledge by the Walt Disney Company of any prior acts of misconduct by Harvey Weinstein,” the documents said.
It also stated that Ormond does not claim Weinstein’s alleged conduct took place on the company’s property and does not claim the company employed Weinstein – which they say make it illegible to claim “negligent supervision”.
Similarly, court documents from lawyers for CAA state: “It is now widely known that Harvey Weinstein committed multiple sexual assaults and that his deplorable conduct had a devastating impact on many women.
“But prior to Plaintiff’s alleged assault by Weinstein in December 1995, which is the only timeframe relevant to Plaintiff’s claims against Creative Artists Agency, CAA did not have that knowledge about Weinstein.
“CAA thus had no reason to believe there was any risk to Plaintiff in arranging a business dinner with Weinstein.”
In February, Weinstein was sentenced to 16 years in prison for rape and sexual assault in Los Angeles, while he was already serving a 23-year sentence for a different rape and sexual assault conviction in New York.
Ormond’s notable film credits in the 1990s include Legends Of The Fall with Brad Pitt; Sabrina with Harrison Ford; and First Knight with Sir Sean Connery and Richard Gere.
The Walt Disney Company lawyers Wesley Earnhardt and David H Korn, from Cravath, Swaine and Moore LLP, have been contacted for comment, alongside lawyer Loretta E Lynch for CAA and a representative for Ormond.