Harvey Weinstein on Thursday sued his namesake company for documents _ including emails and his personnel file _ that he says can be used to defend himself and the studio he co-founded.
Weinstein Co.'s board fired the movie mogul Oct. 8 after an article in The New York Times exposed decades of sexual harassment allegations against him.
In a complaint filed in Delaware Chancery Court, Weinstein's attorneys said having access to the documents will allow him to defend himself against allegations and lawsuits from alleged victims.
The New York attorney general's office has opened a civil rights investigation into the company, and one actress has sued the studio for negligence, claiming executives knew about Weinstein's conduct.
Weinstein owns 23 percent of the New York-based film and television company, which is looking for a buyer as it struggles financially.
"Mr.Weinstein believes that his email account _ which is the primary, if not only, account he used during the term of his employment by the Company _ will contain information exonerating him, and therefore the Company, from claims that may be asserted against him or the Company," the attorneys.
More than 50 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, including harassment and rape. The allegations have exposed Weinstein and his company to potentially serious legal liability.
Weinstein has denied all allegations that he engaged in nonconsensual sex. The company's board of directors has said it was unaware of the claims against Harvey Weinstein until news reports detailed his behavior.
