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Ashley Judd has sued disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein for what the actress says was irreparable damage to her career.

Filed Monday in Los Angeles County, Judd is claiming defamation, sexual harassment and a violation of California’s fair business laws. The actress says Weinstein poisoned her reputation with director Peter Jackson, prohibiting a possible casting in his blockbuster “Lord of the Rings” films.

The fantasy franchise has earned nearly $3 billion worldwide, per Forbes.

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“Weinstein torpedoed Ms. Judd’s incredible professional opportunity when he told Mr. Jackson … the studio had had a ‘bad experience’ with Ms. Judd, and that Ms. Judd was a ‘nightmare’ to work with and should be avoided ‘at all costs,'” attorneys for Judd said in the filing obtained by TheWrap.

“With those baseless smears, Weinstein succeeded in blacklisting Ms. Judd and destroying her ability to work on what became a multi-billion-dollar franchise with 17 Academy Award wins and many more nominations. He also effectively blocked Ms. Judd from future opportunities to work,” the statement continued.

A rep for Weinstein did not immediately comment on the matter.

“Mr. Weinstein’s abusive conduct toward others has caused no end of damage to aspiring actors and others in the film and entertainment industry,” Judd said in a separate statement.

Also Read: Oscars: Faces of #MeToo, #TimesUp Herald a 'New Path' of Safety and Inclusion

“As my experience and the experience of others shows, even a few false statements from Mr. Weinstein could destroy potentially career-changing professional opportunities. It’s time that Mr.n Weinstein be held accountable for that conduct and for the ways in which he’s damaged careers,” she concluded.

Judd was the first actress to be named on the record with her account of Weinstein’s widely alleged predation over the decades. Speaking with the now-Pulitzer Prize winning team at the New York Times, Judd described an incident in the ’90s where Weinstein asked to massage him in a hotel room and pressured her to watch him shower during a meeting.

She said she remembered thinking: “How do I get out of the room as fast as possible without alienating Harvey Weinstein?”

The Times report said other accusers generally received between $80,000 and $150,000 in payouts each to make accusations go away. Judd was not one of the women who received a settlement, the report said.

Weinstein has consistently denied any instance of nonconsensual sex. In the subsequent time since the article’s publication, Judd has been a prominent face of the #MeToo and Time’s Up equity movements.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

11 Film and TV Projects Left in Limbo From Weinstein Company Bankruptcy (Photos)

The bankruptcy of The Weinstein Company leaves a number of interesting projects across film and TV in limbo, some awaiting release and others still in development. What will be their fate?
"The Current War"

After making its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's Thomas Edison biopic starring Benedict Cumberbatch was originally scheduled for an awards-friendly December 2017 release before getting pushed.
Toronto International Film Festival
"The War With Grandpa"

Starring Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman and Oakes Fegley, The Weinstein Company unloaded the completed family film to its producers Marro Media Co. for $2.5 million.
Amazon
"The Six Billion Dollar Man"

Mark Wahlberg was set to star in a remake of the '70s TV series starring Lee Majors. The rights to the project directed by Damián Szifron was sold to Warner Bros. for $7.2 million.
Getty Images
"Mary Magdalene"

This Biblical drama directed by "Lion's" Garth Brooks and starring Rooney Mara as Mary Magdalene and Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus Christ was just released on March 16 in the U.K. by Focus Features.
Focus Features
"The Upside"

"The Upside" is a remake of the French drama "The Intouchables" and stars Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart. It made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and was originally scheduled to be released in March.
The Weinstein Company
Untitled David O. Russell Project

Amazon cut ties with The Weinstein Company back in October and canceled a planned series from David O. Russell that was set to star Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore.
"Polaroid"

“Polaroid,” a low-budget horror film from Bob Weinstein’s Dimension Films genre division, is listed in court filings among The Weinstein Company's assets, but it isn't listed as an “unreleased picture.”
Dimension Films
"Fahrenheit 11/9"

Michael Moore's follow up to "Fahrenheit 9/11" concerns the 2016 election of Donald Trump. TWC, which had previously distributed "Fahrenheit 9/11," acquired it in May. The project is still in production.
Getty Images
"Hotel Mumbai"

"Hotel Mumbai" is a thriller starring Armie Hammer and Dev Patel based on a 2009 documentary, "Surviving Mumbai" about the deadly terror attack on the Indian city. The Weinstein Company acquired it in May of 2016.
The Weinstein Company
"Project Runway"

Lifetime sources tell TheWrap that shooting a new season of "Project Runway" is currently up in the air because of TWC's financial and PR problems. Further, Weinstein's estranged wife Georgina Chapman is a judge on a current and upcoming season of "Project Runway: All Stars," both of which were shot prior to the sexual assault allegations becoming public.

Lifetime
"Scream"

The Weinstein Company has a credit on the MTV adaptation of the horror franchise "Scream," with a third, unaired season already completed. It's been over a year since the show aired, and the new season does not have an air date.
MTV

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“The Current War,” “Hotel Mumbai” and “The Upside” are among TWC’s unreleased work

The bankruptcy of The Weinstein Company leaves a number of interesting projects across film and TV in limbo, some awaiting release and others still in development. What will be their fate?

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