Gawker-Killer Lawyer: I'll Sue NY Times Over Harvey Weinstein Report

Charles Harder, the lawyer who represented Hulk Hogan in his successful lawsuit against Gawker, says he is preparing a lawsuit against The New York Times on behalf of Harvey Weinstein.

“The New York Times published today a story that is saturated with false and defamatory statements about Harvey Weinstein,” Harder said in a statement sent to TheWrap. “It relies on mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty report, apparently stolen from an employee personnel file, which has been debunked by 9 different eyewitnesses. We sent the Times the facts and evidence, but they ignored it and rushed to publish. We are preparing the lawsuit now. All proceeds will be donated to women’s organizations.”

Also Read: Victim Advocate Lisa Bloom Defends Work for Harvey Weinstein: 'He Is Reading Books, Going to Therapy'

The NYT reported on Thursday that Weinstein settled at least eight allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct spanning several decades, with Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan among the accusers. Judd told the Times that Weinstein asked to massage her in a hotel room and pressured her to watch him shower during a meeting two decades ago.

The report said the women generally received between $80,000 and $150,000 in settlements.

Harder has made headlines recently as a lawyer who has filed high-profile defamation suits against several media outlets, most notable the $140 million lawsuit that resulted in the bankruptcy of Gawker and its subsequent sale to Univision.

Also Read: Harvey Weinstein Turns Focus on NRA and Trump, Takes Leave After Sexual Misconduct Bombshell

Harder also represented First Lady Melania Trump in a libel suit against the Daily Mail, earning her a reported $2.9 million settlement. In April, Harder told TheWrap that media orgs should “take notice” and said that “news organizations that act recklessly should be concerned about the consequences of their actions.”

However, not all of Harder’s lawsuits have been successful. Last month, a $15 million lawsuit filed by Harder against tech law and policy blog TechDirt was dismissed by a U.S. district judge. The suit was filed on behalf of Shiva Ayyadurai, a man who claims to have invented email.

A few weeks prior, another defamation suit filed by a different legal team against NYT on behalf of Sarah Palin was dismissed, with the district court judge saying in his ruling that lawsuits filed by public figures against news outlets must be limited.

Hollywood's Most Outrageous Lawsuits (Photos)

Between Lindsay Lohan firing back at Fox News, Mariah Carey allegedly short changing her domestic help, and Sly Stone winning millions after suing his ex-manager -- stars often turn to the courts to address their squabbles and strife.
Lindsay Lohan filed suit against Fox News and Sean Hannity on Feb. 2, 2015, after a news correspondent accused Lohan's mom of snorting cocaine with her troubled daughter. It didn't take long for Fox to fire back. “We will defend this case to the fullest,” the network told TheWrap the next day.
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A former nanny for Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon filed a lawsuit on Jan. 28, 2015, alleging she was fired after showing the couple's kids too much affection and did not receive overtime pay despite working 100 hours per week.
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Legendary funk artist Sly Stone won $5 million on Jan. 27, 2015, after suing his former manager and entertainment attorney for misappropriating royalties owed him for more than 20 years.
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“Real Housewives of Miami” veteran Joanna Krupa slapped “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Brandi Glanville with a slander lawsuit on Jan. 22, 2015, after Glanville allegedly accused Krupa of sleeping with a married man and c
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Former “Real Housewives of Orange County” executive producers Patrick Moses and Kevin Kaufman filed a suit against Bravo in Nov. 2014, claiming they were deceitfully ousted from the show and bilked out of millions of dollars after helping to create the show and the franchise.
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Jessie Nizewitz, a contestant on VH1’s “Dating Naked,” filed suit in New York in Aug. 2014, seeking $10 million in damages for emotional distress, humiliation and embarrassment after the show allegedly failed to properly blur her genitals.
VH1
Octavia Spencer was awarded $940,000 in Dec. 2014 after claiming a weight loss company, Sensa Products Inc., wrongfully fired her from an endorsement deal and still owed her money.
Fox
Former Tinder executive Whitney Wolfe filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against her former company June 2014, alleging she was repeatedly called a "whore" by CMO Justin Mateen and was stripped of her co-founder title simply for being a woman.
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Former TMZ producer Jarrett Gaeta slapped his former employer with a lawsuit in June 2014, claiming he was wrongly terminated. Gaeta was let go after a subordinate accused him of "racist behavior," including defending blackface and sending pictures of watermelons to African-American employees.
TMZ
CNN America was sued in Aug. 2014 by a pair of plaintiffs who claim that correspondent Arwa Damon bit one of them and threatened both during a drunken altercation at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
CNN
Former "Scandal" star Columbus Short was sued in June 2014 for allegedly knocking a partygoer unconscious during an engagement party.
ABC/Kelsey McNeal
"Boardwalk Empire" actress Paz de la Huerta sued Lionsgate in Aug. 2014 claiming she was run over by an ambulance while filming "Nurse 3D." Lionsgate filed a motion to dismiss, which De La Huerta opposed on Jan. 23, 2015. Lionsgate then opposed her opposition on Jan. 30, 2015, in a seemingly neverending loop of opposing motions.
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Rapper Rakim Mayers, aka A$AP Rocky, was sued in civil court in June 2014 for allegedly assaulting a woman while making his way through a crowd during the 2013 Made in America Festival.
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Nicki Minaj’s former hairstylist and wig designer filed a $30 million lawsuit against the rapper in 2014 for allegedly stealing his wig designs and costing him a potential reality show. A judge later dismissed the case for lack of sufficient evidence.
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West filed suit against YouTube founder Chad Hurley on Oct. 31, 2013, claiming he posted a video of the couple’s surprise engagement to his website without permission. The process was delayed when Hurley’s reps filed an anti-SLAPP motion in an attempt to have the case dismissed.
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Jahmel Binion filed a lawsuit against Shaquille O’Neal in July 2014 when O’Neal posted a photo to his Instagram account mocking Binion, who suffers from a rare condition that causes facial abnormalities, sparse hair and missing teeth. Binion claimed defamation, emotional distress and invasion of privacy in the $25,000 lawsuit, and after pressure from the public O’Neal apologized.
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In 2014 singer Chris Brown was mentioned in a lawsuit filed by the cousin of artist Frank Ocean. The defendant claimed Brown and an associate allegedly kicked and punched him when he confronted them about parking in a spot designated for Ocean at a Los Angeles recording studio. Ocean, who was also injured, later said he wouldn't seek criminal or civil penalties.
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From embezzlement to slander, there’s no shortage of celebrity court action

Between Lindsay Lohan firing back at Fox News, Mariah Carey allegedly short changing her domestic help, and Sly Stone winning millions after suing his ex-manager -- stars often turn to the courts to address their squabbles and strife.

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Hollywood's Most Outrageous Lawsuits (Photos)

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