Ashley Judd can sue Harvey

Los Angeles: A federal appeals court restored a major part of Ashley Judd's lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein after finding that the producer had power over the actor, which should make her able to sue under a California sexual harassment law. A three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals found that the actor should be allowed to pursue both parts of her lawsuit against Weinstein. A lower court judge dismissed her sexual harassment allegations but left intact her claim of defamation.

Her attorneys had sued Weinstein under a California law that prohibits sexual harassment by people, other than employers, with professional power, including teachers and landlords. The court agreed that the law could apply to situations like the one Judd faced, when she was dealing with Weinstein but not working for him.

"Weinstein was uniquely situated to exercise coercive power or leverage over Judd, who was a young actor at the beginning of her career at the time of the alleged harassment," US District Judge Mary Murguia wrote in the opinion.

She added, "Moreover, given Weinstein's highly influential and 'unavoidable' presence in the film industry, the relationship was one that would have been difficult to terminate 'without tangible hardship' to Judd." "This is an important victory for all victims of sexual harassment," Judd's attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr said.