James Toback Hit with Stunning $1.68 Billion Verdict in Sexual Abuse Case

A New York jury has awarded James Toback’s accusers a sizable sum.

In court rulings based on accusations made by forty women spanning from 1979 to 2014, the director of “Two Girls and a Guy” was instructed to pay approximately $1.68 billion, as stated by the attorneys representing the plaintiffs.

According to attorney Brad Beckworth, who released information to TopMob News, the ruling handed down on April 9 (which has yet to be disclosed by the court) involves a total of $1.7 billion in damages: $280 million in compensatory damages and an additional $1.4 billion in punitive damages.

He underscored that this decision is rooted in justice, yet what truly matters is reclaiming power from oppressors – both the perpetrators and their accomplices – and giving it back to those who were suppressed and silenced.

As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but feel an immense sense of pride as Beckworth, in a recent interview, hailed the jury’s verdict as one of the most substantial in New York state history. His clients’ unflinchingly honest testimony, he asserted, was nothing short of empowering – not just for them, but for every woman out there. This courageous display of truth has left a profound impact on me and I can only imagine how it must have resonated with so many others.

80-year-old Toback, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the 1991 drama “Bugsy,” consistently denied any allegations of committing a sexual offense. According to documents obtained by the Associated Press, he claimed that any sexual interactions or contact between the plaintiffs and himself were consensual. As reported by the outlet, Toback recently chose to represent himself in the case.

TopMob News has reached out to Toback’s lawyers for comment but has not heard back.

In 2022, a legal action was first initiated using New York’s Adult Survivors Act. This act allowed victims of sexual assault to file lawsuits against their accused perpetrators, irrespective of when the abuse took place, within a one-year timeframe.

It’s uncertain if the filmmaker can actually fulfill his stated obligation of paying a massive amount, given that he referred to himself in court documents as “financially bankrupt” according to reports from The New York Times.

In 2017, during the #MeToo movement, Toback was initially accused of sexual misconduct by several women such as Selma Blair and Rachel McAdams. Over time, this number grew to 395 women accusing him of harassment, as reported by the Los Angeles Times in 2018. However, at that time, the New York Times reported that prosecutors chose not to press charges against him due to the accusations falling outside the statute of limitations.

2025-04-12 00:20

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