New lawsuit accuses former Harvey Weinstein associate of rape
Fabrizio Lombardo, the former head of Miramax Italy and an associate of convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein, has been accused of rape in a lawsuit filed this week in New York State’s Supreme Court. The case has been brought forward by Sara Ziff, a former model. She is the founder of the Model Alliance, an advocacy group for the fashion industry.
The suit alleges that Lombardo assaulted Ms. Ziff in an upmarket New York City hotel in 2001 when she was 19.
Ziff is suing Lombardo alongside Weinstein, Disney and its subsidiaries Buena Vista and Miramax for abuse and negligence under the Adult Survivors Act. The A.S.A., was passed in May 2022 and extended until November this year, the rights of victims of sex crimes to bring civil claims forward that would have otherwise expired under the statute of limitations.
Harvey Weinstein once claimed that Lombardo saved his life, with the disgraced movie producer also the best man at his 2003 wedding. Whilst Lombardo might have been featured in numerous stories about the former Miramax boss and his predatory behaviour, this is the first time he has been personally accused of sexual assault in court.
This is also the first time Ziff has spoken publicly about her experience, despite encouraging others to come forward via the Model Alliance.
“It’s taken over 20 years to process this,” she said in an interview before the suit was filed. “I couldn’t even talk to anyone about it for the first few years, let alone imagine taking legal action.” However, when the A.S.A. was passed, she began to have a change of heart.
Per the lawsuit, Ms. Ziff met Lombardo in 2001 when she was discussing becoming an actress, with her agents setting up a meeting. Later, Lombardo invited her to a screening of a Miramax movie and claimed it would be a chance to meet Harvey Weinstein, one of Hollywood’s most powerful men.
After the screening, the lawsuit claims that Lombardo invited Ziff for a drink at the Mercer Hotel, claiming that Harvey and his brother Bob would be present. When Ziff arrived, Lombardo took her to his penthouse suite, but no one else was there.
The lawsuit alleges that after making advances and being told by Ms. Ziff she had a boyfriend, Lombardo “pivoted her around onto the bed on her back,” lay on top of her and raped her.
“Ms. Ziff was in shock and lay in the bed, frozen. Mr. Lombardo fell asleep. Ms. Ziff woke up early the next morning, confused and alone in the hotel room. She walked home to her apartment, took a long shower, and cried,” the suit continues. It also says the model did not speak to anyone about it at the time. Then, a few years later, she told her friend, model/actor Caitriona Balfe.
Now, per Ziff’s admission, as she has spent the last decade talking to survivors and helping other people, she started to believe it was “the responsible thing” to publicise her story.
“I’ve been very anxious about it and at times wondered if I even want to go through this process,” she said. “I’ve spoken to other people who’ve gone through it and every single one of them says it’s a nightmare. But no matter how much I’ve tried to ignore it or minimize it, this is not my burden to hold.”
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