Disney at Crossroads: $5.7M Weinstein Payout Could Open Floodgates

WEINSTEIN'S VICTIMS SPEAK OUT: $5.7 MILLION PAYOUT TO JULIA ORMOND RAISES EYEBROWS

In a shocking development, it's been revealed that British actress Julia Ormond has received a whopping $5.7 million payout from Disney and Miramax after accusing them of negligence in not protecting her from disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein's alleged misconduct. But the news hasn't gone down well with some of Weinstein's other victims, who claim they were shortchanged in their own settlements.

Zoe Brock, one of the many women who accused Weinstein of harassment and abuse, said she was "happy" for Ormond but couldn't help feeling a sense of injustice. "I'm happy for Julia, don't get me wrong," she said, "but it pisses me off that I had to split $17 million with dozens of other women in 2021. It's just not right."

Brock was one of the many women who took part in a class-action lawsuit against Weinstein's company, The Weinstein Co., which led to the $17 million settlement. But Brock claims she was duped into participating and ultimately lost out on the big payouts. "The class action lawsuit was the worst thing that happened to any of us," she said. "We were conned into it, and it bit us in the backside."

Kaja Sokola, another victim who testified at Weinstein's retrial in New York earlier this year, echoed Brock's sentiments. "I'm really happy for Julia, but I don't think it's fair that some women got more than others," she said. "If someone feels they have a unique case, I'd say go for it. But this is such a gamble – you never know what will happen."

Sokola claimed that figures in excess of $100 million were touted during early discussions with Weinstein's companies, but ultimately some women ended up with tens of thousands of dollars. "It's not right," she said. "The buck stops at Disney, and they need to take responsibility for their role in all this."

Ormond's case was filed under the Adult Survivors Act, a 2022 law in New York that allowed a one-year window to file civil cases that were normally past the statute of limitations. Meredith Firetog, a partner at Doug Wigdor's law firm who worked on Ormond's case, said she was "happy" the matter was resolved but declined to comment further.

But Weinstein's team is crying foul. A spokesman for the disgraced producer said: "Harvey Weinstein has categorically denied the salacious allegations made by Julia Ormond, and we're confident that the evidence will refute her claims of misconduct." They also claimed that the large settlement would incentivize others to make false claims in the hopes of getting a big payout.

Meanwhile, Douglas Wigdor, the lawyer who represented Brock and many other Weinstein victims, is still going strong. His client list includes Cassandra Ventura, who received a $20 million payout from Sean "Diddy" Combs after suing him in 2023, as well as Sara Ziff, a former model who has sued Disney for its failure to protect her from Weinstein's alleged misconduct.

The news of Ormond's payout raises questions about the fairness of the settlements and whether some women were given preferential treatment. As one observer noted: "It's like they're playing favorites – it's not right."

A TIMELINE OF THE WEINSTEIN CASES

• 2021: Weinstein's victims receive $17 million settlement from The Weinstein Co.
• 2022: Adult Survivors Act passed in New York, allowing a one-year window to file civil cases
• 2023: Cassandra Ventura receives $20 million payout from Sean "Diddy" Combs after suing him
• 2023: Sara Ziff sues Disney for its failure to protect her from Weinstein's alleged misconduct
• 2024: Julia Ormond receives $5.7 million payout from Disney and Miramax

THE SCHOLARLY NOTE EXCLUSIVE

Our investigation reveals that Disney and Miramax were aware of the allegations against Weinstein but failed to take adequate action to prevent further harm. As one insider noted: "It's a clear case of negligence – they knew what was going on, but they did nothing."

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