Julia Ormond Looks for Court Order to Arrest Michael Ovitz

Key Points:

• Lawyers for Julia Ormond are seeking a bench warrant for Michael Ovitz, cofounder of CAA, after he abruptly left a deposition when questioned about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
• Ovitz refused to answer questions about Epstein, stating, “I’m not going to discuss anything about Jeffrey Epstein,” during a deposition related to Ormond’s lawsuit against CAA over its handling of sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein.
• Ormond alleges that CAA executives, including Ovitz who was chairman before her alleged assault, ignored Weinstein’s misconduct and failed to warn her prior to a 1995 meeting that led to her assault.
• Ovitz admitted disliking Weinstein’s business methods and claimed he would have cut ties if allegations were substantiated, but tensions rose when questioned about continuing ties with Epstein after his conviction.
• Ormond’s lawyers argue Ovitz has shown contempt for court proceedings, citing past missed depositions and subpoenas, and are demanding his arrest until he complies with deposition and document requests; CAA states Ovitz’s legal fees are covered by the agency and claims the case does not involve him.