Ashley Judd is suing Harvey Weinstein for allegedly torpedoing her career by spreading “false and malicious statements” regarding her “professionalism as an actor,” according to a complaint filed in Los Angeles on Monday.
Specifically, the complaint refers to recent reports that the disgraced mogul succeeded in dissuading director Peter Jackson and screenwriter Fran Walsh from casting Judd in their Lord of the Rings movies after she says she rebuffed his sexual advances.
“My legal complaint,” Judd tweeted Monday, along with a link to the complaint. “I am suing for economic remedy due to damage done to my career as a result of sexual harassment. Financial recuperation goes to @TIMESUPNOW @TIMESUPLDF so that American workers who experience sexual harassment & retaliation have help.”
Earlier this year, while speaking with New Zealand publication Stuff, Jackson said that when he pitched his initial plans for both The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings to Miramax, the Weinstein brothers — whom he described as “second-rate Mafia bullies” — warned him that actress Mira Sorvino and Judd were difficult to work with.
“I recall Miramax telling us they were a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs. This was probably in 1998,” Jackson told the outlet. “At the time, we had no reason to question what these guys were telling us — but in hindsight, I realize that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing.”
He added, “I now suspect we were fed false information about both of these talented women — and as a direct result their names were removed from our casting list.”
Citing Jackson’s admission that Weinstein’s warning influenced his casting decision, the complaint argues that “with [Weinstein’s] baseless smears, [he] succeeded in blacklisting Ms. Judd and destroying her ability to work on what became a multibillion-dollar franchise with 17 Academy Award wins and many more nominations. He also effectively blocked Ms. Judd from future opportunities to work with Mr. Jackson and Ms. Walsh.”
When Jackson first came forward with the accusation against Weinstein, a spokesperson for the former producer said in a statement to PEOPLE that “while Bob and…
