Model and activist Sara Ziff filed a lawsuit in New York civil court on Thursday (6/4) alleging she was raped as a teenager by Fabrizio Lombardo, a former Miramax executive described as Harvey Weinstein’s “henchman”. . In addition to Lombardo, Ziff is also suing Miramax and Disney, claiming the companies knew that Lombardo and Weinstein were using their positions and influence to attract women.
The lawsuit was filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for sexual assault for victims of past crimes.
“Today I took an important step toward finding responsibility and ultimately healing. What happened to me at the age of 19 was a catalyzing moment for my life’s work,” Ziff said in a statement. about the process.
According to her lawsuit, Ziff was a 19-year-old model and aspiring actress when she met Lombardo in 2001. Her agent recommended that she attend a screening of Black Hawk Down (2001) in New York with Lombardo, who was a Miramax executive. At the screening of her, Lombardo promised to introduce her to Harvey Weinstein, who could help her in her acting career.
According to the lawsuit, when they arrived at the hotel, Lombardo led her to the penthouse suite. There she began to question the situation, and soon after, Lombardo began making “unwelcome advances” by rubbing his thigh on the model, while Ziff took his hands away.
“Desperate to keep Mr. Lombardo from touching her, but fearful of missing out on professional opportunities, Ms. Ziff made it clear that she had a boyfriend and was not interested in him,” the lawsuit states.
Disgusted by the model’s rejection, Lombardo allegedly forced Ziff to lie down on the bed and raped her as she screamed that she didn’t want to have sex with him. When she finished, Lombardo reportedly said again that “it was great that such a young girl found a man her age attractive”.
Weeks after the rape, Lombardo allegedly invited Ziff to three different meetings. One of them also with Harvey Weinstein and photographer Patrick Demarchelier.
According to case reports, Ziff attended the meetings because he feared that Mr. Lombardo used his powerful industry connections to destroy his career, which was still in its infancy.
“Lombardo would never have been able to rape Ms. Ziff were it not for his position at Miramax and Disney,” the lawsuit states. Disney, which owned Miramax at the time, did not respond to requests for comment. Harvey Weinstein is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, as are the current owners of Miramax.
“Sara Ziff is not accusing Harvey Weinstein of rape or alleging that there was any sexual misconduct directed against her by Mr. Weinstein. Her allegations of rape are directed at Fabrizio Lombardo,” said Imran H. Ansari, the attorney by Weinstein. “Mr. Weinstein strongly denies having any responsibility for the alleged conduct of another.”
At the time of Ziff’s alleged assault, Lombardo was a close friend of Weinstein and the head of Miramax in Italy. Weinstein was best man at Lombardo’s wedding in 2003.
In 2017, actress Asia Argento (“Triple X”) and models Samantha Panagrosso and Zoë Brock alleged that Lombardo “set up” women for Weinstein, luring them into private meetings with the producer, who raped them.
Argento told Variety that, during the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, Lombardo convinced her to go to Weinstein’s room at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, where she ended up being raped. Australian model Zoë Brock also claimed Lombardo tricked her into Weinstein’s private hotel room at the same festival, where the movie mogul stripped her naked and chased her around the room.
“I believe he was Weinstein’s henchman and responsible for helping him find women,” the model wrote on her social media.
In 2017, British director Nigel Cole (“Suddenly Is Love”) tweeted about meeting Lombardo at a luncheon at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival: “I asked him what he did for Harvey and he said he was your pimp “.
At the time of the first allegations, Lombardo vehemently denied having acted as a henchman for Weinstein.
Sara Ziff, in turn, has been a strong activist in the fight for gender equality in the fashion world. In 2012, she founded Model Alliance, an advocacy group for better working conditions for models and industry workers.
Disney, Lombardo and Miramax have yet to comment on the allegations.
Source: Terra
I am Amanda Gans, a motivated and ambitious professional in the news writing industry. With over five years of experience in this field, I have developed an eye for detail and an ability to craft stories that captivate readers. I currently write for Gossipify, where I specialize in beauty & celebrities news. My passion lies with exploring the world of beauty through writing, interviewing experts and developing articles that are both informative and entertaining.
