Actress Alleges Harvey Weinstein Raped her During Presidential Debate

Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein has been accused of raping an actress during the 2000 Presidential debate, alleges a new lawsuit filed against him. 

The woman, who chose to remain anonymous in court papers, said she met Weinstein as a 19-year-old at the Cannes Film Festival in 1984, when her boyfriend at the time introduced the pair.  

According to court documents, the movie mogul stayed away from her out of respect for her boyfriend, but everything changed in 1992, when he found out she was single. Weinstein showed interest in her career, which rapidly evolved into “unwanted sexual advances.  

The Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit states that she had three encounters with the movie maker, with the final meeting ending in rape.

The first incident occurred when Weinstein invited her to his hotel room to have a cocktail before a celebratory dinner after he sold his company Miramax to Disney in 1993. In what coincides with other accuser’s statements, he came into the room in a bathrobe and “exposed his genitals to the plaintiff.”

His accuser rebuffed the unwanted advances by mentioning that she had attended his 1987 wedding to Eve Chilton, which caused Weinstein to put his clothes back on. They attended dinner with others at a nearby restaurant.  

The second incident occurred in 1994 at a hotel in New York City, when the producer lured the alleged victim to his room with promises of roles in his movies. Though she went for a business meeting, he again exposed his genitals to her, and this time rubbed them against her until she fled.  

The third and final encounter happened after years of “good behavior” from Weinstein. The plaintiff agreed to watch the 2000 Presidential debate at his New York City home. When she stood up to use the bathroom after sushi and drinks, Weinstein blocked her path and forced her onto the bed.  

Due to his “sheer size and mass,” he was able to remove her underwear and forcibly rape her. When he backed off, she escaped from the apartment and never saw him again. 

His accuser claims, “her career was derailed” and she nearly stopped acting after the “severe emotional distress” of the incident.   

Weinstein’s lawyer said the convicted rapist “intends to defend against the claims filed anonymously against him.” He is currently facing felony sexual assault charges in Los Angeles and serving a 23-year prison sentence for a prior conviction. 

Marie Finn