Sophia Michaels
Eric Weinberg — former Scrubs executive producer and writer — has been accused of two separate sexual assaults in civil lawsuits recently filed by two unidentified women. The two plaintiffs allege Weinberg assaulted them in 2019 and are seeking general and punitive damages, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Weinberg was arrested in July on 18 charges of sexual assault, including rape. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge, who described Weinberg as a potential “serial rapist,” revoked his $5 million bail and placed him into custody at an Oct. 25 bail hearing. Weinberg pleaded not guilty.
An investigation by THR found that more than two dozen women alleged a pattern of predatory behavior that dated back to 2000, including claims involving minors. As far back as 2014, multiple women said they sought the help of police, but in most instances, law enforcement failed to adequately investigate the allegations.
Weinberg allegedly “targeted women in grocery stores, coffee shops and other public places”; the women were typically in their 20s or 30s. He would offer to photograph them, LAPD officials said in a statement about his arrest in July. “Once the women were in his residence, he would sexually assault them during the photo shoot,” the police said.
In December 2019 in the first suit, a woman referred to as “Plaintiff A.B.” stated that she met Weinberg on a dating app and that after “numerous text messages, where Weinberg came across as charming, considerate and respectful of sexual boundaries,” he invited her for drinks at a cocktails bar. Afterwards, he invited her for a glass of wine at his Los Felix home, where he asked A.B. about her career. However, as she began to answer, “Weinberg shockingly unzipped his pants and exposed his penis to A.B.” and asked “if he could ‘jerk off’ while she talked about her work accomplishments.”
The sudden change in behavior “triggered a trauma response,” which causes “survival reflexes and
passivity habits often take over and the victim avoids creating a scene or bruising the
sexual offender’s ego in order to ensure survival,” according to the suit. When it appeared that Weinberg had “pulled” back and resumed behaving as “a courteous date and gracious host,” he brought her a glass of water and after more amicable conversation, the two began to kiss, according to the complaint. Abruptly, Weinberg allegedly grabbed her head and forced her to perform oral sex and seemed to film her with his phone. Afterwards, he allegedly directed her to an upstairs bedroom where he forced her to perform sexual acts, despite A.B. telling him no, trying to break free, and loudly asking him to get off her.
As a result of the assault, the suit alleges that “A.B. suffered, and continues to suffer, physical,
emotional, and economic injuries.”
In February of the same year, a woman referred to as Plaintiff C.D alleges that Weinberg approached her in a grocery store parking lot and introduced himself as the executive producer of Scrubs. Weinberg portrayed himself as “a safe and respectful Hollywood figure that she could trust” per the filing and even showed her examples of prior photoshoots and photos of his wife and three children. Weinberg also claimed that he had photographed “lots of Disney stars.”
The suit states that C.D is. “a neurodivergent young woman who has been diagnosed with
ADHD, which makes her less attuned to social cues and particularly vulnerable to a
sexual predator like Weinberg.”
After their initial interaction, Weinberg and C.D. began to text and C.D. claims he told her that she could make money from modeling and discussed the types of photos she wanted to take. C.D. sent examples of the types of photos she was comfortable shooting and told him she would “try a photo shoot as long as there was no erotica.”
However, once C.D. arrived at Weinberg’s home, he allegedly “disregarded his prior assurances” and led her to his daughter’s bedroom, where he told C.D. to take off her shirt, and engage in sexual poses. At one point, when C.D. attempted to “passively diffuse the situation by striking funny poses,” Weinberg “yelled at her to shut up and do what he instructed,” the filing states. Weinberg then allegedly assaulted her and afterwards “demanded assurance that she would not tell the police he had raped her.” When she assured him she would not, he let her leave his residence, according to the complaint.
“Plaintiff C.D. suffered physical, emotional, and economic harm as a result of Weinberg’s assault and brings this action for sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence,” the filing states.
Weinberg co-executive produced more than 100 Scrubs episodes between 2001 and 2007. He has also produced and written for shows such as Graves, Californication, and Politically Incorrect. While at Scrubs, the show was nominated for five Emmy Awards.
The Hollywood producer has been criminally charged for sexually assaulting multiple women after luring them into his home. During the bail revocation hearing, Judge Victoria B. Wilson stated that the allegations against Weinberg indicate “that he cannot stop and will not stop his sexual assaults on women; and, therefore, he poses a danger to the safety of women.”
