​Oscar-Winning Director James Toback Ordered To Pay $1.6 Billion To 40 Women For Abuse, One Of Highest Awards Ever In N.Y.

A New York jury has ordered James Toback, the Oscar-nominated writer and director, to pay $1.68 billion in damages to 40 women who accused him of sexual abuse over 35 years. The verdict includes $280 million in compensatory damages and $1.4 billion in punitive damages, marking one of the largest awards in New York state history.

Actresses Selma Blair and Rachel McAdams were among Toback’s accusers.

The case was initiated under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which opened a one-year window for survivors to file civil claims regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred. The plaintiffs accused Toback of luring them under false pretenses of casting opportunities and then subjecting them to sexual coercion and psychological manipulation between 1979 and 2014.

Toback, 80, known for his work on films like Bugsy, denied all allegations, citing health conditions and asserting that any encounters were consensual. However, his failure to appear in court led to a default judgment and subsequent damages trial.

Attorney Brad Beckworth, representing the plaintiffs, emphasized the significance of the verdict: “This verdict is about justice. But more importantly, it’s about taking power back from the abusers—and their enablers—and returning it to those he tried to control and silence.”

This ruling is seen as a landmark moment in the ongoing efforts to hold powerful individuals accountable for sexual misconduct, particularly in the wake of the #MeToo movement.