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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 25 OctOber 2019

Rose McGowan sues alleging intimidation by

Weinstein, others

By ANDREW DALTON
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ac-
tress Rose McGowan filed
a federal lawsuit Wednes-
day alleging that Harvey
Weinstein and two of his
former attorneys engaged
in racketeering to silence This cover image released by
her and derail her career Little, Brown and Co. shows
before she accused him "The Night Fire," by Michael
of rape. Connelly.
The suit filed in Los Ange- Associated Press
les names as defendants Bosch and Ballard
Weinstein, attorneys Da- combine forces in
vid Boies and Lisa Bloom
and their law firms, and "The Night Fire"
Black Cube, an Israeli in- By JEFF AYERS
telligence firm hired by Associated Press
Weinstein. "The Night Fire," Little, Brown
The lawsuit alleges that and Co., by Michael Con-
the defendants conspired nelly
to defraud, smear and In this Oct. 27, 2017, file photo, actress Rose McGowan speaks at the inaugural Women's In "The Night Fire" by Mi-
marginalize McGowan Convention in Detroit. chael Connelly, John Jack
as she was preparing to Associated Press Thompson, Harry Bosch's
name Weinstein during of the earliest and one conspirators, all working Bloom's attorney, Eric M. first mentor when he be-
the run-up to the explo- of the most prominent of with a single mission: to George, said in a state- came a police officer, dies.
sion of the #MeToo move- dozens of women to ac- protect Weinstein's repu- ment that it "is inexcusable He leaves behind a gift for
ment late in 2017. The suit cuse Weinstein of sexu- tation, suppress negative that Ms. McGowan chose Bosch: a murder book that
comes on the heels of a al misconduct, making information about him, to include my client in highlights a cold case from
pair of recent books that her a major figure in the and silence and discredit her lawsuit. Facts matter. almost 30 years ago.
detail Weinstein and his #MeToo movement. his accusers," the lawsuit There is simply no credible At first glance the crime
team's efforts to keep his McGowan had been states. factual or legal basis for appears to be a simple
accusers quiet. tweeting in 2017 that she The lawsuit heavily cites her claims against my cli- drug deal gone wrong,
"Harvey Weinstein was was preparing to name and repeats stories de- ent." but it was never resolved.
able to perpetrate and her rapist in a forthcoming tailed in the recently re- An email to Boies seeking Though he is officially re-
cover up decades of vio- memoir, "Brave," which leased books "Catch and comment was not imme- tired, Bosch keeps busy
lence and control over was published the follow- Kill" by New Yorker writer diately returned. working on cases, and he
women because he had ing year. Ronan Farrow, and "She The suit seeks both com- decides to take this one
a sophisticated team The lawsuit alleges that Said" by Jodi Kantor and pensatory and punitive to his friend, Detective Re-
working on his behalf to the defendants used spies Megan Twohey. damages to be deter- nee Ballard, who works the
systematically silence and posing as women's rights Both books delve in to the mined at trial, and an in- night shift for the Los Ange-
discredit his victims," Mc- advocates and journalists work done for Weinstein junction forbidding further les police department.
Gowan said in a state- to obtain a copy of the by Boies and Bloom, two misconduct toward Mc- They made a promise to
ment. "My life was upend- memoir, illegally recorded of the most prominent Gowan. work together on cases
ed by their actions, and I her conversations, and and visible attorneys in the "McGowan has suffered when they can, and he
refuse to be intimidated smeared her to those in nation, who both faced tremendously from De- feels this is one is worth pur-
any longer." the entertainment industry heated criticism for repre- fendants' conspiracy and suing since it was impor-
Weinstein's attorney Phyl- who were working on proj- senting the movie mogul lies," the suit states." Her tant enough for his former
lis Kupferstein said Mc- ects with her. became known. book sales suffered; her partner to have taken the
Gowan is "a publicity Hers is one of several law- Boies is best known for de- expenses mounted; her case files with him when he
seeker looking for money" suits, along with criminal fending Al Gore during job opportunities van- retired.
and her suit is meritless. charges, against Wein- the disputed 2000 presi- ished; and her emotional Ballard lands a case in a
"From the moment she stein stemming from the dential election. Bloom, health cratered. She has homeless encampment
sought a $6 million dol- sexual misconduct allega- like her mother and fellow experienced trauma and that seems on the surface
lar payout in return for tions, including a defama- attorney Gloria Allred, is depression from defen- to be a simple accident
not making these base- tion suit from actress Ash- primarily known as a wom- dants' actions, and the where a man sleeping in-
less allegations, which we ley Judd. en's rights attorney who deep betrayal will have side a tent knocked over
rejected at the time, we But McGowan's lawsuit often represents women life-long effects." Wein- a heater and burned to
knew that she was wait- goes further than most in sexual harassment and stein, 67, is scheduled for death. Looking over the
ing for an opportune time in including the team assault cases. trial in January on charges evidence, she begins to
such as this to begin her around Weinstein, alleg- The lawsuit alleges that alleging that he raped an realize something doesn't
suit," Kupferstein said. ing that they illegally con- Bloom approached Mc- unidentified woman in his quite feel right.
Emails seeking comment spired to intimidate her, Gowan and Farrow as an Manhattan hotel room In addition to these two
from the other defendants other victims, and journal- ally in an attempt to get in 2013 and performed a cases, Bosch reluctantly
were not immediately re- ists attempting to tell their them to back off Wein- forcible sex act on a dif- agrees to assist his half-
turned. stories. stein, without revealing ferent woman in 2006. brother Mickey Haller with
McGowan, 46, known for "Weinstein enlisted others that she was working for The former movie mogul his defense of a client who
her role in the "Scream" — including his co-Defen- him to revive his reputa- has denied all allegations left DNA behind at the
movie franchise, was one dants in this case — as co- tion. of non-consensual sex.q murder scene.q