The first civil suit against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein over allegations of sexual assault has been issued in London by an anonymous woman, according to a report in The Hollywood Reporter. The suit comes close to the heels of investigations by Scotland Yard conducted into other sexual assault charges brought against Weinstein in the United Kingdom.
The woman has alleged that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in London. The suit has been filed with Jill Greenfield, a partner at law firm Fieldfisher. The suit has been filed against Weinstein, The Weinstein Company, and the Weinstein Company UK. The claim is expected to exceed $400,000, a statement by Fieldfisher read.
Investigations by the the New Yorker and the New York Times in October revealed that Weinstein had been sexually assaulting several women over the course of over three decades. Soon, numerous women from within and outside the film industry accused Weinstein of sexual crimes. He was removed from his position at The Weinstein Company and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences thereafter. He was also banned for life from the Producers Guild of America. On November 27, he resigned from the Directors Guild of America.
The allegations against Weinstein opened the floodgates for a series of similar accusations brought against powerful men in the entertainment industry such as actor Kevin Spacey, comedian Louis CK and filmmakers Brett Ratner and James Toback.