A New York jury ordered James Toback to pay $1.68 billion to the dozens of women who accused him of sexual assault.
Wednesday’s decision marked one of the largest jury awards in New York history. While $1.4 billion was for punitive damages, the other $280 million went toward compensatory damages.
The disgraced director, 80, did not appear in court for the trial, where 40 women took the stand to share their stories of sexual abuse and other crimes dating back over 35 years.
Tobach reportedly tried to have the case dismissed last year and stopped attending hearings after his request was denied.
Due to his absence, the judge entered a default judgment against Toback, making the recent trial for damages only.
The plaintiffs’ attorney Brad Beckworth told reporters that he hopes the hefty payout will send a message to powerful people “who don’t treat women appropriately.”
“This verdict is about justice,” Beckworth said in a statement, per NPR. “But more importantly, it’s about taking power back from the abusers — and their and enablers — and returning it to those he tried to control and silence.”
Over three dozen women filed a joint lawsuit against the “serial sexual predator” in 2022 after the Adult Survivors Act went into effect in New York state, allowing victims of sexual abuse to come forward regardless of when the alleged crime was committed.
The women claimed the Oscar-nominated filmmaker “used his reputation, power and influence in the entertainment industry” to “lure” them into meeting him under the guise that he would give them their big break.
However, they claimed he “falsely imprisoned, sexually abused, assaulted, and/or battered them” before blacklisting them from the entertainment industry.
He allegedly went as far as threatening to kill some of the victims if they came forward about the assaults.
The “Bugsy” writer has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by over 300 women in his lifetime, all of which he has denied.
The allegations first came to light in late 2017 as the #MeToo movement gained momentum. At the time, 30 women accused Toback of sexual misconduct.
However, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office decided not to prosecute the director in 2018 due to the statute of limitations.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
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