Judge dismisses Ashley Judd's sexual harassment claims against Harvey Weinstein

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Thursday, January 10, 2019
Judge dismisses Ashley Judd's sexual harassment claims against Weinstein
A Los Angeles federal judge on Wednesday dismissed actress Ashley Judd's sexual harassment claims against entertainment guru Harvey Weinstein.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Los Angeles federal judge on Wednesday dismissed actress Ashley Judd's sexual harassment claims against entertainment guru Harvey Weinstein.

In September, U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez indicated how he would rule on Weinstein's motion to dismiss, writing that the law cited in the lawsuit "has never before been applied to an employer's sexual harassment of a prospective employee, and the court is not convinced that the statute was intended to cover such harassment.''

Still, the ruling said Judd may proceed with her other claims, such as defamation, intentional interference with prospective economic damage and violation of California's Unfair Competition Law.

Judd claims she lost out on roles after turning down Weinstein's advances.

She said Weinstein made sexual advances toward her in 1997 at a Beverly Hills hotel while they were meeting to discuss potential film roles. She alleged that she managed to elude Weinstein by proposing a "mock contract'' by falsely telling him she would let him touch her when she won an Oscar for one of his films.

According to the judge, a producer/actress relationship is not covered by the law covering sexual harassment within a professional relationship.

Eyewitness News reached out to Judd for a response but did not immediately hear back.

City News Service contributed to this report.