Actress sues Weinstein, accusing him of sex trafficking
NEW YORK (AP) – Harvey Weinstein engaged in sex trafficking by traveling to Europe and luring an aspiring actress from London to a hotel room where he sexually assaulted her, according to a new lawsuit filed against the disgraced movie producer.
The suit filed by Kadian Noble in federal court in Manhattan alleges that Weinstein went to London in 2014 and “groomed Kadian by telling her that he had a role in mind for her and that ‘it will be good for you.’” Later that year, he approached her again at the Majestic Hotel in Cannes, France, and asked her to come to his hotel room to watch her demo reel, it says.
Weinstein “knew that the promise of a role or the use of his influence on her behalf would entice Kadian into his hotel room, and knew that once there he was in a position to force the sexual activity he desired,” the suit says.
Kadian, 31, claims at one point, Weinstein put her on the phone with a Weinstein company producer who told her she “needed to be ‘a good girl and do whatever he wished,’ and if she did, then ‘they would work’ with her further,” it says. After that, it alleges he molested her and forced her into the bathroom to watch him masturbate.
The suit was filed under a sex-trafficking statute that has a 10-year limit for filing a complaint against someone who traveled to commit a sex crime through coercion. It seeks unspecified damages.
A spokeswoman for Weinstein said Monday that he “denies allegations of non-consensual sex” and “has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances.”
In recent months, a widening scandal has seen Weinstein become the target of numerous sexual misconduct allegations made by actresses, models and other alleged victims. New York police have been investigating a 2010 rape allegation that could result in criminal charges.