A jury in New York just awarded $1.68 billion to 40 women who accused director James Toback of sexual assault, psychological abuse, false imprisonment and coercion.
The money breaks down like this … $280 million in compensatory damages and $1.4 billion in punitive damages.
Toback was sued in December 2022 by dozens of women who claimed he coerced them into meetings they believed were auditions of job interviews … only for the meetings to allegedly turn sexual.
The director was previously accused by over 30 women in October 2017 of decades-long sexual harassment … and the allegations were similar in nature to the accusations against Harvey Weinstein.
The lawsuit went to trial this month but Toback did not appear in court. He reportedly tried to have the case dismissed last year but after a judge denied his request he stepped back and was not represented at the New York jury trial. His absence resulted in a partial default judgment.
When the allegations first surfaced, Toback denied them … claiming he either never met the women or only had brief encounters with them. He also told the Los Angeles Times he was medically incapable of such alleged behavior, citing diabetes and a heart condition.
Among Toback’s accusers … Julianne Moore, Natalie Morales and Ellen Pompeo.
