Rose McGowan sues Weinstein over 'silencing attempts'

The actress was one of the first people to accuse Weinstein of rape

Actress Rose McGowan has filed a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein, his ex-lawyers and a private intelligence agency, accusing them of trying to silence her.

McGowan was one of the first people to accuse Mr Weinstein of rape in 2017.

She claims Mr Weinstein and his team conspired to discredit her after they heard she was writing a book.

The movie mogul is currently awaiting trial and denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.

Ms McGowan claims she was raped by Mr Weinstein in a hotel room during a business meeting at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.

Her lawsuit targets Mr Weinstein, lawyers David Boies and Lisa Bloom, and the private intelligence firm Black Cube. The claims include racketeering, invasion of privacy and fraud.

It claims that as soon as they heard she was writing a book in 2016 that included details about the alleged sexual assault, Mr Weinstein and his team attempted to ensure the book was never published.

She alleged that Mr Weinstein recruited Black Cube to obtain information on the book by posing as an advocate for women.

• McGowan: 'Weinstein tried to contact me'

• How the Harvey Weinstein scandal unfolded

The suit says: "This case is about a diabolical and illegal effort by one of America's most powerful men and his representatives to silence sexual-assault victims. And it is about the courageous women and journalists who persisted to reveal the truth."

Eric George, attorney for Ms Bloom, told AFP news agency: "There is simply no credible factual or legal basis for her claims against my client. We look forward to our day in court to set the record straight."

Mr Weinstein's lawyer told the Hollywood Reporter that the allegations against him were "baseless."

Rose McGowan's book Brave was published last year and included details on the alleged abuse and how Harvey Weinstein "poisoned the film and television industry."