Overview

• Two lawsuits were filed on July 9 and July 14 in Los Angeles Superior Court and California state court, naming former SVP Patrick Smith and Paramount Pictures as defendants
• They allege repeated assaults and harassment, including non-consensual groping and forced penetration, at Paramount’s studio lot from 2016 to 2018
• The complaints accuse Paramount of fostering a code of silence by ignoring multiple internal reports of Smith’s misconduct and retaining him until his resignation earlier this year
• Legal claims include sexual assault, harassment, discrimination, negligence, retaliation, negligent hiring and wrongful termination
• The plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive damages for economic losses, emotional distress, lost and future earnings, legal fees and civil penalties under FEHA