Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence slam 'pathetic' Harvey Weinstein

Jennifer Lawrence (left) and Meryl Streep (right) have slammed Harvey Weinstein for using their names in his defence. Photos / Getty

Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence have slammed Harvey Weinstein as 'pathetic' after the disgraced film mogul used their names in his defence.

The 65-year-old disgraced producer - who stands accused of sexually harassing a number of female employees over a 30 year period - mentioned both actresses when responding to the class action lawsuit against him.

Weinstein cited the fact that Lawrence had previously claimed he had "only ever been nice" to her in documents which aimed to get the lawsuit thrown out of court earlier this week.

And now, after the documents were published, the Red Sparrow actress has hit out at Weinstein, claiming her comments were taken "out of context".

In a statement to People, she said: "Harvey Weinstein and his company are continuing to do what they have always done which is to take things out of context and use them for their own benefit. This is what predators do, and it must stop.

"For the record, while I was not victimised personally by Harvey Weinstein, I stand behind the women who have survived his terrible abuse and I applaud them in using all means necessary to bring him to justice whether through criminal or civil actions. Time's up."

Jennifer Lawrence slammed Harvey Weinstein for taking her words 'out of context'. Photo / AP

In a 26-page document accompanying a motion to dismiss the suit brought against Weinstein by Louisette Geiss, Katherine Kendall, Zoe Brock, Sarah Ann Masse, Melissa Sagemiller and Nannette Klatt, lawyers acting on behalf of the producer - who has been out of the public eye since he was hit by multiple allegations of sexual misconduct last October - insisted "these proposed class definitions are fatally overbroad as to be not ascertainable", and used the names of Streep and Lawrence as evidence.

His documents stated: "As drafted, they would include all women who ever met with Weinstein, regardless of whether they claimed to have suffered any identifiable harm as a result of that meeting.

"Such women would include, presumably, Jennifer Lawrence, who told Oprah Winfrey she had known Weinstein since she was 20 years old and said 'He had only ever been nice to me,' and Meryl Streep, who stated publicly that Weinstein had always been respectful to her in their working relationship."

Harvey Weinstein cited the actresses in defence documents against a lawsuit being brought against him. Photo / AP

Streep slammed Weinstein as "pathetic" over the use of her name in the papers in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

She said: "Harvey Weinstein's attorneys use of my (true) statement - that he was not sexually transgressive or physically abusive in our business relationship - as evidence that he was not abusive with many other women is pathetic and exploitive.

"The criminal actions he is accused of conducting on the bodies of these women are his responsibility, and if there is any justice left in the system he will pay for them - regardless of how many good movies, made by many good people, Harvey was lucky enough to have acquired or financed."

The 68-year-old actress - who worked with Weinstein on The Iron Lady - did publicly say the producer had been "respectful" towards her, but she also condemned the "disgraceful" behaviour he was accused of, in a statement to The Huffington Post.

Meryl Streep worked with Harvey Weinstein on The Iron Lady, in which she portrays Margaret Thatcher. Photo / supplied

She said: "The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported.

"The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes. One thing can be clarified. Not everybody knew.

"Harvey supported the work fiercely, was exasperating but respectful with me in our working relationship, and with many others with whom he worked professionally."