Court to Enforce Subpoena Against Ovitz in Ormond Lawsuit

LOS ANGELES, CA — Former CAA co-founder Michael Ovitz is facing a court subpoena after he failed to attend a scheduled deposition in June. This deposition is part of a lawsuit filed by actress Carrie Ormond, who alleges that the agency set her up to be sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein in December 1995. CAA has denied the charges.

Ormond’s legal team wants to question Ovitz about the agency’s connection to Weinstein and his past remarks on sexual harassment in Hollywood. Notably, in a 2018 interview with CNBC, Ovitz claimed that sexual harassment has existed in the industry since its inception and has often been overlooked.

According to filings in Los Angeles Superior Court, Ormond’s attorneys served a deposition notice to Ovitz on May 29, requiring him to appear on June 12. However, Ovitz did not respond or show up for the deposition. Consequently, Ormond’s lawyers have requested a court order to compel his testimony.

Earlier this year, Ormond reached a settlement with Disney and Miramax, removing them from the lawsuit. In her claims, she asserts that her CAA agents, Kevin Huvane and Bryan Lourd, failed to inform her about Weinstein’s history before a dinner meeting that turned violent.

After dining with Weinstein, she alleges he took her to a Miramax apartment in Soho where he assaulted her. Ormond asserts that CAA tried to discourage her from reporting the incident, a claim the agency also refutes. In her lawsuit, she maintains that following the assault, her career suffered and she experienced retaliation from Weinstein.

Ormond’s attorneys are now seeking Ovitz’s testimony and any relevant documents that could shed light on his correspondence with Weinstein or his knowledge of the producer’s sexual misconduct.