Actress files suit alleging Weinstein raped her

WASHINGTON: An unidentified actress has filed a suit against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, alleging he raped her in his room at a Beverly Hills hotel last year, entertainment publication Variety reported Tuesday.
The actress, identified in the suit only as "Jane Doe," is the latest of more than 100 women who have come forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct, ranging from harassment to rape.
Variety said Weinstein's representatives denied the latest allegations, as with all the other accusations he has faced in recent weeks, saying the producer "believes all of these relationships were consensual."
In the suit, filed against both Weinstein and the Weinstein Company, the woman says she met the now infamous film mogul at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills in late 2015 to discuss being cast in the Netflix series Marco Polo, according to Variety.
Once there, however, Weinstein told the woman he wanted to masturbate in front of her and when she said "no" he proceeded to grasp her wrist with one hand and masturbate with the other, the suit alleges.
In the spring of the following year, Weinstein is alleged to have contacted her again as if nothing had happened, giving her the impression she had been cast in Marco Polo.
He invited her to meet him again at the Montage Hotel to celebrate and she agreed, according to the woman's account.
During the meeting, he excused himself and returned in a bathrobe, but when she said she didn't want to do anything sexual, he dragged her into the bedroom where he used his "massive strength and weight to force himself on her," the suit alleges.
The woman said she fled the room as soon as she could break free.
The actress, who is represented by attorney Gloria Allred, is seeking compensation and damages, claiming sexual battery, assault and negligence, according to Variety. — AFP