Actress files suit alleging Weinstein raped her

The suit, filed by "Jane Doe 1 and on behalf of all others similarly situated," says the movie mogul assaulted the California actress as she auditioned for a role with Miramax, the studio co-founded by Weinstein and his brother Bob.

"During her audition, Jane Doe 1 was assaulted by Weinstein, threatened, falsely imprisoned, and suffered emotional and physical distress, and was injured in her property or livelihood as a result of Weinstein's actions," the suit alleges, without giving a date for the incident.

"Weinstein told Jane Doe 1 that if she refused his advances and his requests, he would ruin her, and he ultimately withdrew the offer he had given her for a part because she would not accede to his advances."

The complainant's lawyers appealed to other victims to join the action against the producer, The Weinstein Company and Miramax, now owned by the Qatari beIN Media Group, arguing that "hundreds of other female actors like her" have found themselves on his casting couch.

"Under the guise of meetings ostensibly to help further class members' careers or hire them for roles, Weinstein isolated (the) plaintiff and the class members in an attempt to engage in unwanted sexual conduct that took many forms: flashing, groping, fondling, battering, sexual assault, attempted rape and/or completed rape," the lawsuit states.

- 'Massive strength' -

It adds that victims who wanted careers in film or television "understood that Weinstein was a powerful force in the production world" and acted under duress and the threat of being blacklisted if they rejected him or complained.

The actress is the latest of more than 100 women who have come forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct, ranging from harassment to rape, with high-profile accusers including stars Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The action follows a lawsuit filed against Weinstein and The Weinstein Company in Los Angeles on Tuesday by a single unidentified actress represented by celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred.

The woman says she met the now infamous mogul at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills in late 2015 to discuss being cast in the Netflix series "Marco Polo."