Julia Ormond reportedly seeks bench warrant for arrest of CAA cofounder Michael Ovitz after he walked out of deposition
Julia Ormond reportedly seeks bench warrant for arrest of CAA cofounder Michael Ovitz after he walked out of deposition
Kathleen PerriconeWed, June 24, 2026 at 6:46 AM UTC
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Julia Ormond in 2024; Michael Ovitz in 2022Credit: Manuele Mangiarotti/ipa-agency.net/Shutterstock; Taylor Hill/FilmMagicKey Points -
Julia Ormond's lawyers are reportedly calling for a bench warrant to arrest CAA cofounder Michael Ovitz after he walked out of a deposition.
Ovitz was giving testimony for Ormond's lawsuit against CAA, related to her claims of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein.
During the sit-down with Ormond's lawyers, Ovitz was also pressed on his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Julia Ormond's lawsuit against CAA for her 1995 assault at the hands of Harvey Weinstein just took a dramatic turn.
Lawyers for the actress are calling for a judge to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Michael Ovitz, the Hollywood agency's cofounder, after he walked out of a deposition while being questioned about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, according to THR.
During his sworn testimony on June 1, Ovitz reportedly warned Ormond's legal team that he refused "to discuss anything" related to the disgraced financier, with whom he was acquainted, per 2012 emails between the pair recently released by the Department of Justice.
The topic of Epstein came up to point out contradictions between Ovitz's relationship with the financier and his statement regarding his relationship with Weinstein.
In Ormond's lawsuit against CAA, she claims her agents arranged a private business dinner for her and Weinstein in 1995, even though they allegedly knew about his history of predatory behavior with young actresses.
Under oath in his deposition, Ovitz asserted he "surely wouldn't have done business" with Weinstein had he been aware of the accusations. He also said he and Weinstein "didn't get along."
"I didn't like his methodology of business," Ovitz said. "He was a bully and — and he and I got into it multiple times. I talked to him as little as possible."
Harvey Weinstein and Michael Ovitz attend a 2006 conference in IdahoCredit: Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty
Relating Weinstein to Epstein, Ormond's lawyer Kevin Mintzer then pressed Ovitz over his continued association with the late financier despite his 2008 conviction for sex crimes. At that, Ovitz stood up and said, "I'm done with this. Okay? You are out of line."
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Later pressed to explain why he hadn't previously explained the relevance of Epstein to the court, Mintzer said he wasn't required to divulge in advance the questions he planned to ask in the deposition.
"Mr. Ovitz in his testimony said — made representations about certain actions he would have taken with respect to Mr. Weinstein had he known that Mr. Weinstein had been credibly accused of sexual misconduct," Mintzer told opposing counsel. "It's our right to contest that. His continuing association with Jeffrey Epstein after knowing that Mr. Epstein was convicted of sex offenses is directly relevant to that."
Ovitz's stunt was not an isolated incident, according to Ormond's legal team, per THR. They alleged that he ignored a subpoena in November and failed to show up for a deposition, the outlet reported.
With a bench warrant, Ormond's legal team would request Ovitz's arrest until he ultimately sits for a full deposition and provides requested documents related to his communications with Weinstein. The disgraced film producer is currently being held at Rikers Island in New York City as he awaits retrial for a 2020 rape conviction.
Julia Ormond in November 1995, a month before Harvey Weinstein assaulted her, she claimsCredit: Gary Gershoff/Getty
According to Ormond's 2023 lawsuit, Weinstein sexually assaulted her in December 1995 after a business dinner in her apartment to discuss their latest film project. He allegedly stripped naked, lured Ormond into giving him a massage, and forced Ormond to perform oral sex on him, the lawsuit states.
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Ormond claims she informed her CAA agents, but they cautioned her against speaking out, suggesting that Weinstein would "seriously damage her career," and failed to protect her. Subsequently, the suit alleges, the agency "lost interest in representing her, and her career suffered dramatically."
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
