NEW YORK — A former Miramax films executive was accused of the 2001 rape of a 19-year-old model in a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit, with convicted predator and co-defendant Harvey Weinstein called out for turning a blind eye to his colleague’s behavior.
The 22-page court document filed Thursday by Sara Ziff named Weinstein associate Fabrizio Lombardo in the Manhattan hotel attack and accused the disgraced Oscar winner of protecting his friend in a “symbiotic and sickening alliance.” The lawsuit also named Miramax and Disney as defendants.
“In short, Harvey Weinstein — and thus Miramax and Disney — were fully aware Mr. Lombardo was a danger to women who he encountered at work,” the lawsuit alleged. “Despite this knowledge, they did nothing to supervise Mr. Lombardo or prevent him from victimizing more women.”
Weinstein was sentenced to a combined 39 years in prison after convictions in New York and Los Angeles for his predatory behavior.
Ziff, now 40, launched the Model Alliance advocacy group and assisted others in recounting their stories of abuse by creating a hot line for victims after the alleged incident. She also created a program urging the fashion industry to make a commitment toward stopping “sexual harassment and other forms of abuse.”
According to her court filing, Ziff was working as a model and aspiring actress when sent by her agents for a meeting with Miramax executive Lombardo — who briefly introduced her to movie mogul Weinstein.
The defendant then brought her to a Manhattan hotel penthouse where Lombardo began to assault her, she alleged
“Ms. Ziff, having difficulty speaking, managed to say ‘No’ multiple times, but Mr. Lombardo continued to assault her,” the court papers charged. “... He did not use a condom. Ms. Ziff felt crushed and defeated.”
The traumatized victim was unable to speak about the rape for several years, the court papers said. Weinstein served as the best man at Lombardo’s 2003 wedding, two years after the alleged rape occurred.
Lombardo was accused in 2017 by actress Asia Argento and model Zoe Brock of leading them into private meetings with Weinstein where they were sexually harassed. He dismissed those allegations as “absolutely not true.”
Emails to Disney and Weinstein’s attorney were not returned, but a statement provided to The New York Times offered a response from the imprisoned ex-movie mogul.
“Certainly Mr. Weinstein had no control over any alleged conduct by Mr. Lombardo, nor would he have reason to know what Mr. Lombardo was doing nor where Mr. Lombardo was at the time that Ms. Ziff alleged she was raped,” read a statement issued by Weinstein attorney Imran Ansari.
“As such, Mr. Weinstein firmly denies that he has any liability for the alleged conduct of another.”
The lawsuit was filed under New York State’s Adult Survivors Act, which was extended through November 2023 to allow victims more time to file any legal actions.
Ziff seeks unspecified compensatory damages, including “an award of monetary judgement for mental pain and anguish and severe emotional distress.”
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