Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein along with his previous production company Weinstein Co have been hit with a $10 million New York lawsuit by the former associate producer on Netflix show “Marco Polo”.
The New York Supreme Court has filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, on behalf of Alexandra Canosa. She accused the 65-year-old father of five of violations that include sexual harassment, assault, battery and emotional distress.
Canosa “incurred substantial physical injury, pain, suffering, humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional distress.”
She is also “seeking damages and costs estimated to be in excess of $10 million. The causes of action are based on repeated sexual harassment, sexual intimidation, emotional abuse, assault and battery of plaintiff by defendant Harvey Weinstein over a period of years through 2017,”
Canosa who is listed as an associate producer on the Netflix show “Marco Polo” on which Weinstein was executive producer before his career imploded, claims that during that period Weinstein “made it clear that if she did not succumb to his demands or if she exposed his unwanted conduct there would be retaliation, including humiliation, the loss of her job and any ability to work in the entertainment business,”
Allegedly the production company “facilitated, hid and supported his unlawful conduct” and members on the board “knew or should have known” about his conduct and “did not act to correct or curtail such activity.”
An unnamed speaker for Weinstein’s company declined to comment on Thursday. Testimonials published in The New York Times and The New Yorker in October from over 100 women alleged to have fallen victim to his sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to rape have contributed to ending the disgraced mogul’s career.
Although Weinstein denies any allegations of non-consensual sex and has said there were never “any acts of retaliation” against women for refusing his advances. He is facing several other lawsuits and on October the 8th was sacked by his eponymous film studio company. Under US law, battery charges range from physical injury, to also offensive or insulting contact that includes offensive touching of someone against their will.
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