Meryl Streep has branded Harvey Weinstein "pathetic".
Meryl Streep
The 'Florence Foster Jenkins' has hit out at the disgraced movie mogul after he used her name in a sexual harassment class action lawsuit against him, citing the fact she had "stated publicly that Weinstein had always been respectful to her in their working relationship" as part of his attempt to get the case thrown out.
Meryl fumed to Deadline: "Harvey Weinstein's attorneys use of my (true) statement -- that he was not sexually transgressive or physically abusive in our business relationship -- as evidence that he was not abusive with many other women is pathetic and exploitive.
"The criminal actions he is accused of conducting on the bodies of these women are his responsibility, and if there is any justice left in the system he will pay for them -- regardless of how many good movies, made by many good people, Harvey was lucky enough to have acquired or financed."
In a 26-page document accompanying a motion to dismiss the suit brought against Weinstein by Louisette Geiss, Katherine Kendall, Zoe Brock, Sarah Ann Masse, Melissa Sagemiller and Nannette Klatt, lawyers acting on behalf of the producer - who has been out of the public eye since he was hit by multiple allegations of sexual misconduct last October - insisted "these proposed class definitions are fatally overbroad as to be not ascertainable", and used the names of Meryl and Jennifer Lawrence as evidence.
The documents stated: "As drafted, they would include all women who ever met with Weinstein, regardless of whether they claimed to have suffered any identifiable harm as a result of that meeting.
"Such women would include, presumably, Jennifer Lawrence, who told Oprah Winfrey she had known Weinstein since she was 20 years old and said 'He had only ever been nice to me,' and Meryl Streep, who stated publicly that Weinstein had always been respectful to her in their working relationship."
The 68-year-old actress - who worked with Weinstein on 'The Iron Lady' - did publicly say the producer had been "respectful" towards her, but she also condemned the "disgraceful" behaviour he was accused of.
She said: "The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported.
"The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes. One thing can be clarified. Not everybody knew.
"Harvey supported the work fiercely, was exasperating but respectful with me in our working relationship, and with many others with whom he worked professionally."
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