Screenwriter and film director James Toback will now have to pay $1.68 billion to all those who accused him of abuse, s*xual assault, and other offenses.
This goes back to 2022 when he was sued by the accusers who alleged that they were assaulted during meetings, which were supposed to be auditions and interviews.
However, as per the latest update in the case, a jury has ordered him to pay the mentioned amount as compensatory charges. According to Celebrity Net Worth, James Toback has a net worth of $10 million. The accusations against him include holding someone against their will and forcing someone to do something.
The money is divided this way: $280 million to make up for the harm caused, and $1.4 billion as a punishment. As per a report by TMZ, more than thirty women had previously accused James Toback in October 2017 of s*xually harassing them for years.
The legal case went to court this month. However, James Toback did not appear. It was reported that he tried to get the case thrown out last year but was met with rejection. After that, he stopped being involved and did not even have a lawyer at the jury trial in New York.
Because he was not there, the jury decided on some of the claims without hearing from him. According to the plaintiff’s attorney, Brad Beckworth:
“I think this jury spoke loud and clear. We wanted their voice to be heard and to reverberate across the country to tell insiders and people in positions of power that we will not tolerate using that power against women.”
James Toback had previously dismissed the allegations, citing health issues
The trial witnessed the narratives of around 40 women, some of whom were present in person. According to Variety, Mary Monahan, the main plaintiff, expressed that the jury’s decision felt like a form of acknowledgment. She shared that she had lived with the trauma for years without speaking about it, but the verdict showed that the jury believed her and the others involved.
For her, the outcome wasn’t just about the money as it symbolized a powerful message that they mattered, that their experiences were valid, and that speaking out against wrongdoing had been the right thing to do.
In 2017, James Toback denied the allegations, saying he either never met the women or only spoke to them briefly and didn’t remember, according to The Los Angeles Times. He also claimed that health issues, including diabetes and a heart condition, had made it physically impossible for him to behave the way the women described.
Speaking to the news outlet, actress Adrienne LaValley described an incident in a hotel room in 2008, where James Toback made it seem like his behavior was normal in the industry. During the encounter, he rubbed himself against her leg, and when she pulled away, he stood up and ejaculated in his pants.
She said the experience left her feeling ashamed, as though she had done something wrong, and it kept her from speaking about it for a long time.
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