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Rose McGowan sues Harvey Weinstein for racketeering and invasion of privacy while trying to suppress rape allegation

The suit "is about a diabolical and illegal effort by one of America’s most powerful men and his representatives to silence sexual-assault victims." Allegations include racketeering, violations of the Federal Wiretap Act, invasion of privacy, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress

BY PATHIKRIT SANYAL

UPDATED OCT 23, 2019

Rose McGowan filed a racketeering lawsuit Wednesday, October 23, against Harvey Weinstein, his ex-attorneys Lisa Bloom and David Boies, and the private intelligence firm Black Cube, in a California federal court. According to the suit, “This case is about a diabolical and illegal effort by one of America’s most powerful men and his representatives to silence sexual-assault victims. And it is about the courageous women and journalists who persisted to reveal the truth.”

As per reports, the lawsuit alleges Weinstein, the Hollywood mogul who was accused of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape by multiple women in the film industry, conspired with his attorneys to suppress and discredit McGowan’s allegation that Weinstein raped her at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997. McGowan’s allegations in the suit, according to The Hollywood Reporter, include racketeering, violations of the Federal Wiretap Act, invasion of privacy, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Harvey Weinstein arrives to court for arraignment over a new indictment for sexual assault on August 26, 2019, in New York City. The new charges against the movie mogul are from an indictment involving the actor Annabella Sciorra. Weinstein has already been charged with a host of other sexual assault charges and with the trial due to start in three weeks prosecutors are likely to request to add Sciorra’s testimony to be included rather than add an additional charge. (Source: Getty)

According to Variety, the suit alleges the “Weinstein Protection Enterprise”, which included a host of attorneys, book agents, spies and others, worked together to thwart McGowan when she was working on her memoir, ‘Brave’. Per McGowan, Diana Filip, a “spy” from Black Cube illegally recorded their conversations and accessed a draft of the book from her laptop.

Weinstein’s civil attorney, Phyllis Kupferstein, in a press statement regarding the lawsuit said: “Once and for all, Rose McGowan will be shown to be what she is; a publicity seeker looking for money. From the moment she sought a multi-million dollar payout in return for not making these baseless allegations, which we rejected, we knew that she was waiting for an opportune time to begin this. We will demonstrate that this case has no legal merit.”

Bloom's attorney Eric George also released a statement. He said: “It is inexcusable that Ms. McGowan chose to include my client in her lawsuit. Facts matter. There is simply no credible factual or legal basis for her claims against my client. We look forward to our day in court to set the record straight."

McGowan was paid $100,000 to settle her allegation of rape against Weinstein.