Following a seven-day trial in New York, James Toback was mandated on Wednesday to pay $1.68 billion. 40 women who alleged sexual assault against the discredited filmmaker .
The jurors granted the claimants a sum of $280 million in compensation along with $1.4 billion intended as punishment for the defendant.
"The lead attorney explicitly instructed the jury to convey a strong message to the whole industry: The #MeToo movement remains incomplete and has been somewhat overlooked. They emphasized the necessity for maintaining firm boundaries and ensuring that everyone—from New York to Hollywood and even up to Washington, D.C.—understands unequivocally that such behavior is unacceptable under any circumstances," said the chief lawyer. Brad Beckworth told the Los Angeles Times .
According to Variety , Toback, who is 80 years old, did not attend the trial and previously issued a blanket denial, including a claim that any sexual activity was consensual. The outlet added that the director was acting as his own attorney at the time and did not appear for pre-trial hearings, which lead to a default judgment against him.
In October 2017, the Times Initially, Toback was accused of sexual harassment spanning four decades following interviews with 38 of his alleged victims. The investigation began shortly after numerous actresses made comparable allegations against the producer anddirector. convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein.
According to th e Times , Toback frequently approached younger women without invitation in New York, claiming he was a renowned director. He informed several of these women, many of whom were not actresses, that they would be ideal candidates for his future projects. In nearly every instance, Toback allegedly steered the discussion toward sexual topics after initially discussing the young woman’s potential part in an impending film with her. He was accused of sexually assaulting them at the Harvard Club And at various places across Manhattan, such as his editing studio, his residence, hotels, public parks, and his mother’s home, similar incidents were reported. Several women claimed that Toback exposed himself to them or tried to pressure them into engaging in sexual activities.
The plaintiffs first brought suit against New York's Harvard Club for allowing "Toback's abuse to go unchallenged" and subsequently dismissed the case against the venue in January 2024.
Toback, who received an Academy Award nomination for penning the screenplay of 1991's Bugsy , had previously rejected the accusations following The Times ‘ report, telling Rolling Stone in 2017 The notion that I'd cast someone in a role for any motive other than finding the absolute best person available is utterly repulsive to me.
After the ruling on Wednesday, Mary Monahan, one of the complainants, stated The Times ", 'This shall be his enduring impact, without question,' adding, 'It certainly won’t be Bugsy And that is incredibly affirming. A panel listened to our case and a panel trusted us."
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