Filmmaker James Toback ordered to pay nearly $1.7 billion in sex assault lawsuit

James Toback, 80, who represented himself in the case, denied numerous times in court documents that he 'committed any sexual offense.'

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A New York jury has ordered writer and director James Toback to pay US$1.68 billion in damages to 40 women who accused him of sexual abuse and other crimes over a span of 35 years, according to lawyers representing the plaintiffs.

Toback, 80, was accused of abusing his power in the film industry to sexually assault women across four decades. Accusations that he engaged in years of sexual abuse surfaced in late 2017 as the #MeToo movement gained attention. They were first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The decision stems from a lawsuit filed in Manhattan in 2022 after New York state instituted a one-year window for people to file lawsuits over sexual assault claims even if they took place decades ago.

Wednesday’s decision marks one of the largest jury awards since the #MeToo movement began, as well as in New York state history, said lawyer Brad Beckworth, of the law firm Nix Patterson LLP, in an interview.

He said the verdict included $280 million in compensatory damages and $1.4 billion for punitive damages to the plaintiffs. The court has not yet released documentation of the verdict as of Thursday morning.

Beckworth added that the plaintiffs believe such a large verdict will send a message to powerful individuals “who don’t treat women appropriately.” He said that the abuse took place between 1979 and 2014.

“This verdict is about justice,” Beckworth said in a statement. “But more importantly, it’s about taking power back from the abusers — and their and enablers — and returning it to those he tried to control and silence.”