Appeals Court Allows Ashley Judd to Continue Her Sexual Harassment Case Against Harvey Weinstein

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Ashley Judd can move forward with her sexual harassment case against Harvey Weinstein, after all. Variety reports that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a previous lower-court decision that rejected Judd's claim. The previous case cited the fact that Judd was not Weinstein's employee when she claimed that he sexually harassed her.

The new ruling states that while she wasn't technically employed by the disgraced producer, he exerted power over her career at the time. Judd claims that the two met at the Peninsula Hotel during the mid-'90s. She claims that Weinstein harassed her, asking her to watch him shower and offering her a massage.

Justin Sullivan / Staff

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"(T)heir relationship consisted of an inherent power imbalance wherein Weinstein was uniquely situated to exercise coercion or leverage over Judd by virtue of his professional position and influence as a top producer in Hollywood," Judge Mary H. Murguia wrote. "Therefore, the district court erred when it dismissed Judd’s sexual harassment claim."

Back in April 2018, Judd claimed that Weinstein convinced Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson not to cast her after she refused his sexual advances.

"My legal complaint," Judd tweeted at the time, including 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."

"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," Judd's complaint reads. "He also effectively blocked Ms. Judd from future opportunities to work with Mr. Jackson and Ms. Walsh."

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Judd was the first actors to come forward with Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey of the New York Times. Earlier this year, a New York City court found Weinstein guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.