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In New York State Supreme Courtroom on Thursday, a former mannequin filed a lawsuit alleging that she was raped by Fabrizio Lombardo, a onetime affiliate of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. The go well with additionally named Weinstein, Disney, and Miramax as defendants, saying they “had been negligent or recklessly detached to the hurt that Lombardo inflicted.”
The go well with was filed by Sara Ziff, who based Model Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy group for employees within the vogue trade. She alleges that in 2001, when she was 19, she was raped by Lombardo after a movie screening. “Mr. Lombardo invited Ms. Ziff to go to a close-by resort with him on the pretense that they’d be joined by Harvey Weinstein and one other younger girl who attended the screening,” the go well with contends, noting that Ziff thought it will be a enterprise alternative as a mannequin and aspiring actress.
The lawsuit says that as an alternative it was “a lure set by Mr. Lombardo to get Ms. Ziff alone and rape her.”
On the time, Lombardo was an government with Miramax, the movie studio co-founded by Weinstein. The previous film mogul is at present serving 39 years in jail for intercourse crimes in New York and California. NPR has reached out to Lombardo’s representatives, however has not been capable of get any remark.
In line with The New York Occasions, Ziff filed a police report in 2017, however no costs had been filed. NPR hasn’t been capable of independently confirm what the police report alleged. She instructed the Occasions she had been hesitant to come back ahead prior to now. “I could not even discuss to anybody about it for the primary few years, not to mention think about taking authorized motion,” mentioned Ziff, now 40 years previous.
Ziff says she reconsidered when the Adult Survivor’s Act passed final 12 months. The laws prolonged the time grownup intercourse crime victims can carry civil claims that may in any other case have expired underneath the statute of limitations.
Weinstein as soon as credited Lombardo with saving his life and reportedly served as greatest man at Lombardo’s 2003 wedding ceremony. Lombardo was head of Miramax Italy.
In 2018, Lombardo was named in a sexual harassment class action lawsuit towards the Weinstein firm and others, which claimed that Lombardo enabled Weinstein’s abuse by serving to to “procure and deceive potential victims.” Lombardo by no means appeared in courtroom and the go well with was later settled. He hasn’t responded to this newest allegation.
This week’s lawsuit additionally names Weinstein, Disney, and its subsidiaries Buena Vista, and Miramax. Disney didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark, however Weinstein’s lawyer Imran H. Ansari mentioned in an announcement to NPR, “Actually Mr. Weinstein had no management over any alleged conduct by Mr. Lombardo, nor would he have any motive to know what Mr. Lombardo was doing nor the place Mr. Lombardo was on the time that Ms. Ziff alleges she was raped. As such, Mr. Weinstein firmly denies that he has any legal responsibility for the alleged conduct of one other.”
Through the years, Ziff has labored on legislation to cease sexual harassment and abuse within the vogue trade. Her group has additionally launched an industry-specific support line for individuals who’ve skilled sexual harassment and assault.
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