Filmmaker James Toback has been ordered to pay $1.68 billion following a sexual assault trial in New York. Toback, 80, was accused of sexually assaulting 40 women over four decades. The jury awarded $280 million in compensatory damages and $1.4 billion in punitive damages, which lawyers believe is the largest sex assault verdict in the state’s history.
Toback, who did not attend the trial, denied the allegations, claiming the sexual activity was consensual. He had been acting as his own attorney but failed to show up for hearings, leading to a default judgment.
The lawsuit, filed under the New York Adult Survivors Act, allowed women to pursue legal action despite the statute of limitations. 20 women testified in person, and 20 others gave video depositions.
Mary Monahan, the lead plaintiff, called the verdict a “validation,” while Karen Sklaire Watson said it would make New York safer for women. The plaintiffs had initially sued the Harvard Club of New York but dropped the case in 2024.
Toback’s allegations first surfaced in 2017, following similar claims against Harvey Weinstein, sparking a wave of accusations against other Hollywood figures.
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