Director James TobacWho was it Between the first To be sung in the #MeToo scam in 2017, it was ordered to pay $ 1.68 billion after a sexual harassment test in New York on Wednesday.
The 80 -year -old Tobacc was accused of misusing her power in the film industry for sexual harassment of women in four decades. 40 women testified in a seven-day test, resulting in their lawyers consider the biggest sexual harassment decision in the state’s history.
“I think this jury spoke loudly and clearly,” Brad Beckworth, a lawyer for the plaintiff, said, he said that he had argued that the #MeToo movement had not gone far away. “We wanted his voice to be heard and told the inner sources and people across the country in power positions that we will not tolerate us by using that power against women.”
Tobac did not attend the trial. Earlier in the case, he issued a blanket denial, including the claim that any sexual activity was consensus. He was working as his lawyer at that time. He did not appear for pre-test hearing, a default decision against him.
Tobac on Wednesday did not respond to messages seeking comments.
A six -member jury was called to decide the compensation. After consultation, the jury awarded $ 280 million in compensatory damage and $ 1.4 billion in punitive damage.
Lawyers have to assess the next whether Tobac has any property that they can carry forward.
“We will try to recover it, but this is not the only inspiring factor,” Ross Leonoudkis, said the lawyer of another plaintiff. “We saw a unique opportunity to help these remaining people to get justice.”
Tobac wrote and directed and directed the 1991 film “Bagsi” and “The pick-up artist” and “Two Girls and a Gai”. He was accused of walking on the streets of New York for decades, to invite meetings with the promise of film offer in search of young women. He was accused of sexually assaulting him at Harvard Club and other places around New York, including his apartments, his editing studios and public parks.
The accused-now in their 40s and 50s, and some in their early 70s were allowed to be prosecuted under the Nuyorck Adult Survivors Act, which built a one-year window in which the law of boundaries for sexual harassment was suspended. The suit was first filed in December 2022.
During the test, 20 women testified to the individual. Video deposits of another 20 women were also played for the jury.
Mary Monahan, the chief plaintiff, said in a statement that the decision represents “verification”.
Monahan said, “For decades, I took this trauma into silence, and today, a jury believed in me.” “We believed. It changes everything. This decision is more than a number – this is a declaration. We are not disposables. We are not false. We are not a collateral damage in someone else’s power journey. The world now knows what we always know: what he did it was. And what we did. And what we did – and that was standing – right – right – right – right – right – right.
Another plaintiff Karen Skelair Watson said that the decision will be made safe for New York women.
“We are pulling a line in the sand,” he said in a statement: cannot hide poachers behind fame, money or power. ” “Not here. No more.”
The plaintiff initially sued the Harvard Club in New York, arguing that the club was negligent in allowing it to use it for so many sexual attacks over so many years. The plaintiffs agreed to shut down the case against the Harvard Club in January 2024.
La Times First RepoOn October 22, 2017, 38 women were accused against Tobac, reported to the history of harassment claims against Harvey Venstein only two weeks after the New York Times. The report triggers an avalanche of similar allegations against several Hollywood figures, as well as it became easier for them to bring new laws and cases protecting allegations of sexual harassment.
“We will try to recover it, but this is not the only motivational factor,” Ross leonoudkis,
