Model Sues Disney For Alleged Rape by Former Exec.

In 2017, acclaimed film producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual assault by a number of women. Throughout his decades-long career, Weinstein was a producer on a number of hit films, including The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Shakespeare in Love, The Hateful Eight, The Founder, and so many more. The 71-year-old has been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison on multiple convictions of rape and sexual assault. And now, we are learning that one of his close friends and colleagues may be just like Weinstein.

In 1979, Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob founded the film production company Miramax. Over the years, Miramax produced a number of hit films, including Pulp Fiction, The Crying Game, and Clerks. For many years, Weinstein worked closely with Fabrizio Lombardo, the President of Miramax Italy. However, instead of being a film producer, Lombardo has been accused of “procuring” women to be assaulted by Weinstein.

Now, Lombardo has also been accused of procuring women for himself.

The Walt Disney Company purchased Miramax in 1993, and kept Weinstein on until they clashed and Weinstein left. On April 7, news broke that former model Sara Ziff is suing Disney, Miramax, and Weinstein. Her lawsuit alleges that, in 2001, she was raped by Lombardo after he promised her a meeting with Weinstein.

Here is more on Ms. Ziff’s lawsuit, courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter:

Sara Ziff on Thursday sued Weinstein, Miramax, Disney and others alleging that she was raped by Fabrizio Lombardo and that his position within the company directly facilitated it. She says that in 2001, when she was 19 and working as a model, her agents set up a meeting with Lombardo because she wanted to act. According to her complaint, which is embedded below, he invited her to a private screening of Black Hawk Down at the Miramax offices and told her Weinstein would be there. Hoping to make a connection with the powerful producer, she attended and later accepted an invitation from Lombardo to go to a nearby hotel to meet with Weinstein and others, including Bob Weinstein, another producer who he said the aspiring actress should meet. This invitation, she alleges, was a trick to get her alone in a hotel where she says Lombardo raped her.

According to Ziff, Weinstein, Miramax, and Disney knew that Lombardo was a predator and a danger to women. She further claims that Lombardo would never have been able to rape her if it weren’t for his position at Miramax and The Walt Disney Company. Ms. Ziff is also suing Lombardo directly for sexual battery and gender-motivated violence.

While the alleged rape occurred in 2001, Ziff is able to sue now because of New York’s Adult Survivors Act. The Act allows those who would normally be barred by a statute of limitations to sue their accused attacker. The new law also has a provision that allows victims to sue employers if the act of violence involved the workplace. Since Lombardo was using his position at Miramax/Disney to assault Ziff, she falls into that category.

Disney has not commented on the lawsuit.