Harvey Weinstein made his assistant clean semen off the couch after his sexual encounters, according to a new lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court. Sandeep Rehal, who worked at The Weinstein Company for two years between 2013 and 2015, claims she felt demeaned and terrified while working for the disgraced film mogul.
Weinstein even made the then-26-year-old type emails he dictated while naked, according to the suit.
“As Ms. Rehal soon learned, Harvey Weinstein’s assistants were expected to be available at all times; there was no boundary between Harvey Weinstein’s work life and personal life,“ the lawsuit claims. “Much of Ms. Rehal’s work as an employee of TWC involved catering to Harvey Weinstein’s sexual appetites and activities, and catering to his demeaning and often abusive family members.”
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Rehal’s duties included preparing for and cleaning after Weinstein’s “extremely prolific sexual encounters.” She claims that didn’t spare her from experiencing unwanted sexual advances as well.
Weinstein touched her thigh when she wore skirts to work, according to Rehal’s lawsuit, and began rubbing her between her thighs when she switched to wearing pants. When Rehal began sitting cross-legged to prevent his advances, she said Weinstein touched the back of her legs and butt.
“You used to dress so cute and now what’s going on?” he allegedly asked after Rehal began wearing pants to discourage his advances.
Rehal was also subject to verbal abuse, including being called a “cunt” or “pussy,” according to her suit.
“What’s wrong Sandeep, is the tampon up too far today?” Weinstein would ask her.
Rehal’s suit comes amid allegations that Weinstein sexually harassed or assaulted over 80 women. The assistant reveals that her duties included setting up an apartment for Weinstein’s sexual activities and managing his erectile dysfunction drugs.
“Another ‘task’ Ms. Rehal was forced to do to aid Harvey Weinstein’s sexual encounters was to clean up the semen on the couch in Harvey Weinstein’s office,” sometimes as many as three times a week when the mogul was in New York, according to the suit. “She also had to pick up his used condom, and clean up rooms before housekeeping personnel would do their work.”
Rehal quit her job in February 2015. She’s now suing for damages over discrimination and harassment, and violations of New York City’s Human Rights Law.
Weinstein was forced out of The Weinstein Company, which he co-founded with his brother, after reports in October that he sexually harassed and assaulted multiple women going back decades. Police in Los Angeles, New York, and London say they are investigating potential criminal cases against him. The Manhattan district attorney was reportedly close to filing charges against Weinstein over his alleged rape of actress Paz de la Huerta last fall, but no charges have been filed to date.
