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 Judd's civil suit, filed in April, accused Weinstein of
discouraging Jackson in 1998 from casting her in the blockbuster
"Lord of the Rings" movie franchise in retaliation for her
refusing Weinstein's sexual advances.
The lawsuit cited an interview with Jackson published by the New
Zealand news website Stuff in December 2017 quoting him as
saying he had heard from Weinstein's former film company,
Miramax, that Judd was a "nightmare to work with."
The New Zealand director, according to the Stuff article, said
that assessment of Judd persuaded him not to cast her but he
later came to believe she was the victim of a "smear campaign."
A spokeswoman for Jackson declined to comment further on
Tuesday.
The article surfaced as a central topic at a hearing on Tuesday
in which Weinstein's attorney Phyllis Kupferstein asked U.S.
District Judge Philip Gutierrez in Los Angeles to dismiss Judd's
lawsuit. The judge has not ruled on the request.
Judd's attorney, Theodore Boutrous, said in court her legal team
had spoken with Jackson and determined he was correctly quoted
in the Stuff article and that it was Weinstein himself who had
disparaged Judd to Jackson.
Boutrous said after the hearing that Jackson had information
that could prove to be critical testimony supporting Judd's
claim.
"We believe he will be a powerful witness and I'll match him up
against Harvey Weinstein any day of the week," Boutrous told
reporters.
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Weinstein has also been charged with sexual assault in a
separate criminal case in New York. He has denied having
non-consensual sex with anyone.
Judd was one of the first women in October 2017 to publicly
accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct, helping give rise to the
#MeToo social media movement against sexual misconduct that has
contributed to the downfall of several leading figures in the
media, entertainment, politics and corporate America.
Her lawsuit could go to trial within a year, Boutrous told
reporters.
Judd, who starred in the 1990s thrillers "Kiss the Girls" and
"Double Jeopardy," argues in her lawsuit that failing to clinch
a role in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy undermined her career.
Kupferstein told the judge that saying someone was a "nightmare"
did not necessarily reflect on the person's professional
abilities.
"I do not believe there are enough facts at this time for her to
pursue the defamation allegation against Mr. Weinstein,"
Kupferstein said.
Neither Judd nor Weinstein attended the court hearing.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Paul Tait)
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