Actress Dominique Huett Sues Weinstein Co. After Alleged Assault
Another woman has come forward to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, and this time she’s suing his company for allegedly enabling his behavior.
In her lawsuit – filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday – actress Dominique Huett claims she first met the disgraced mogul at the bar of the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills in November 2010. She says the producer told her he could help with her acting career and asked to see her breasts, saying it would be beneficial for her career if she did not have implants.
The court documents claim that Weinstein asked Huett up to his room for what he said would be a business meeting before disappearing into the bathroom and returning in only a robe.
Next, she says in the documents that he began demanding a massage, which she performed for him after some initial back-and-forth. Weinstein asked if he could perform oral sex on her and would not take “no” for an answer, the court documents state.
“Weinstein insisted and the Plaintiff froze as Weinstein removed her clothing and performed oral sex on her … for several minutes,” it is claimed in the document.
“After performing oral sex on the Plaintiff, Weinstein masturbated in front of the Plaintiff until he reached orgasm.”
Huett claims that the movie mogul then offered her a role on Project Runway.
Huett’s lawsuit targets The Weinstein Company because she claims that prior to the 2010 incident, the company “had actual knowledge of Weinstein’s repeated acts of sexual misconduct with women.” In particular, the suit claims TWC was “aware of Weinstein’s pattern of using his power to coerce and force young actresses to engage in sexual acts with him.”
She also claims TWC “often aided and abetted Weinstein in the commission of his sexual misconduct.” For example, the lawsuit states that “female Weinstein Company employees were often used as ‘honeypots’ to lure his victims into a false sense of security.”
Huett’s attorney Jeff Herman tells PEOPLE, “This lawsuit is about putting the casting couch on trial.” He believes the suit is not barred by the statute of limitations because he is suing a company, not an individual. According to Herman, the countdown on the statute of limitations does not begin until it becomes clear the company was negligent in retaining a bad employee, which he says did not occur until Weinstein’s public downfall this month.
PEOPLE have reached out to a representative for the Weinstein Company but have yet to receive comment.
The mega producer has been accused of sexual misconduct by over 50 women since TheNew York Times and TheNew Yorker documented decades of alleged abuse in detailed profiles earlier this month.
A spokesperson for Weinstein previously told PEOPLE in a statement that “any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein.”
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