A judge has ordered one of more than a dozen women who have filed lawsuits accusing "Scrubs" producer Eric Weinberg of sexual abuse to appear for a defense deposition early next year.
The plaintiff identified only Q.R. alleges sexual assault, sexual battery, gender violence, assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence in her Los Angeles Superior Court complaint. She alleges Weinberg induced her to visit his Los Feliz home in February 2016 and sexually assaulted her.
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On Thursday, Judge Michael L. Stern granted a motion directing Q.R. to submit to a Jan. 17 deposition. In his court papers, Weinberg's attorney stated that Q.R. has accused Weinberg of a "heinous crime" while also maintaining that her voice should be heard.
"However, when given an opportunity to tell her story and have her voice finally heard, her lawyers have asserted one excuse after another to prevent her from sitting for her deposition," Weinberg's attorney argued in his court papers.
Weinberg first sought Q.R.'s deposition in July and her lawyer refused to respond until September, when a date was offered to the producer for late October, according to Weinberg's attorney. An Oct. 25 date was set, but just days before the deposition, Q.R. demanded that Weinberg agree to a court order protecting a third-party alleged victim's privacy rights, or the plaintiff would refuse to show up, Weinberg's lawyer states in his court papers.
"This case is already subject to a comprehensive protective order issued by this court at plaintiff's request and plaintiff's demand for a second protective order is nonsensical," Weinberg's lawyer further maintained in his court papers.
According to Q.R.'s suit, she was 35 years old and was 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed about 125 pounds when she met Weinberg, who at the time was 55 years old, stood 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighed 175 pounds.
Weinberg approached Q.R. at the Ralph's grocery store in Studio City, where the woman was working for a liquor promotion, introduced himself as a "Scrubs" producer, told her that he was also a photographer and that he wanted to do a photo shoot of her and introduce her to people in his industry, the suit filed Jan. 27 alleges.
Weinberg put Q.R. at ease on the day of the shoot with a "professional demeanor and easy conversation," but he later led her into a bedroom and sexually assaulted her, according to the suit.
The photo shoot resumed later outside of the home near a fence and after Q.R. said she was done posing, Weinberg, in a "huff," allowed her to leave, the suit states.
The 63-year-old Weinberg's other credits include "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher," "Californication" and "American Dad.
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