Jennifer Lawrence is slamming claims of a sexual relationship with Harvey Weinstein after reports emerged on Friday that Weinstein bragged about sleeping with her.
According to Variety, an unidentified actor referred to as Jane Doe is suing Weinstein for sexual assault. In the lawsuit, the actress claims he repeatedly masturbated in front of her, coerced her into touching his penis, and performed oral sex on her without her consent. The suit claims that he justified his actions by saying said he had sex with Lawrence and, in doing so, helped her win an Oscar. A rep for Weinstein has denied the allegations.
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Weinstein became the face of the #MeToo movement in 2017 when the New York Times published a piece detailing how he had paid off sexual assault accusers for decades. Weinstein pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in an ongoing trial in Manhattan. Lawrence released a statement on Friday refuting Weinstein’s claims and emphasising their “predatory” nature.
“My heart breaks for all the women who were victimised by Harvey Weinstein,” her statement read, according to Variety. “I have never had anything but a professional relationship with him. This is yet another example of the predatory tactics and lies that he engaged in to lure countless women.”
According to the lawsuit, Weinstein lured the actor to a meeting regarding a script in 2013. When she got there, he said he had lost the script, knelt in front of her, and forcibly performed oral sex on her. When the actor, who was 22 at the time, started sobbing, Weinstein used his relationship with Lawrence to leverage power over her.
“Do you even want to be an actress?” Weinstein said, according to the suit. “I slept with Jennifer Lawrence and look where she is; she has just won an Oscar.”
When the actress confronted Weinstein later that month, he told her, “Don’t be such a prude. I didn’t even fuck you,” and threatened to ruin her career if she spoke about it.
Weinstein’s camp said the lawsuit was meant to “embarrass” Weinstein.
“This lawsuit was filed and updated strategically with no notice given or any attempt to reach out to Mr. Weinstein’s attorneys for one reason,” a rep for Weinstein told Vulture. “It was meant to embarrass Mr. Weinstein and garner unchecked media attention.”
If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please contact Rape Crisis.