New York — For a year, New York’s Adult Survivors Act suspended the usual legal deadlines to give sexual assault victims one last chance to file lawsuits over misconduct that occurred years or decades ago.
By the time the law expired last week, more than 3,700 legal claims had been filed, with many of the last few coming against big-name celebrities and a handful of politicians.
The list of the accused contained many familiar names from past #MeToo scandals and a few new ones. A huge number of claims were also made by former prisoners over alleged assaults in jails and prisons.
Here’s a guide to some of the more noteworthy lawsuits:
Donald Trump
Former president Donald Trump was one of the first to be sued under the law when it took effect last November, by a writer who said he had raped her in a department store dressing room.
E. Jean Carroll, a columnist, had written of the alleged assault in a 2019 book. He rebuffed the accusation, saying it never happened. She initially sued Trump only for defamation because the allegations dated back to the mid-90s and the deadline for filing a legal claim had long since passed. But the Adult Survivors Act cleared the way for a suit claiming sexual assault.
In May, a jury found Trump liable of sexually abusing Carroll, but not raping her. She was awarded $5 million, including damages for defamation.
Sean “Diddy” Combs
Sean “Diddy” Combs, the hip-hop music mogul, was sued this month by three women. The first case was filed in federal court by R&B singer Cassie. She accused Combs of beatings and rape in a long-term relationship, which he denied. They announced a settlement the next day.
Two more women came forward with lawsuits last week, just before the law’s expiration. They accuse Combs of sexual abuse in separate incidents dating back to the early 1990s. A spokesperson for Combs denied the allegations.
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein, already convicted of rape in New York and Los Angeles, was sued in October…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply