Update 23 February: Jennifer Lawrence describes Harvey Weinstein's defence tactic as 'what predators do'.
Following the news that Harvey Weinstein has used both Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence as part of his defence argument after months of sexual misconduct allegations, Lawrence has called out the film mogul, warning him 'time's up'.
In an interview with TMZ, the 27-year-old Red Sparrow released a damning statement, saying: '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,' she concluded.
In response, Weinstein - who denies all allegations of non-consensual sexual activity - has indirectly apologised to Streep and Lawrence for using their names and descriptions of him in an attempt to stop a class action lawsuit against himself.
Weinstein's representatives told Deadline on Thursday: 'Mr. Weinstein acknowledges the valuable input both Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence have contributed to this conversation and apologises.
'Moving forward, Mr. Weinstein has advised his counsel to not include specific names of former associates; and to avoid whenever possible, even if they are in the public record.'
Meryl Streep would like her name removed from Harvey Weinstein's legal team's defence tactic for the disgraced Hollywood producer.
Earlier this week, Page Six had reported on legal documents in which Weinstein's lawyers used Jennifer Lawrence and Streep as verification that he isn't a sexual predator because neither had accused him of assault or abuse.
'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,' Streep said in a statement to Deadline.
'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,' she added.
According to Page Six, lawyers justified citing Streep because she 'stated publicly that Weinstein had always been respectful to her in their working relationship', although she and Lawrence had never publicly defended Weinstein.
The Post actress - who worked with Weinstein on films such as August: Osage County and The Iron Lady - previously said she hadn't heard of allegations of assault or misconduct against Weinstein until The New York Times published their expose from numerous actresses.
'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,' Streep released to HuffPost via her longtime publicist Leslee Dart.
'I didn't know about these other offences: I did not know about his financial settlements with actresses and colleagues; I did not know about his having meetings in his hotel room, his bathroom, or other inappropriate, coercive acts.
'And If everybody knew, I don't believe that all the investigative reporters in the entertainment and the hard news media would have neglected for decades to write about it.'
Meanwhile, Lawrence said that Weinstein 'had only ever been nice to me - except for the moments that he wasn't' during an interview with Oprah Winfrey for The Hollywood Reporter.
The Red Sparrow star described him as a 'dog' and a 'brute', and added that the allegations against him had made her feel 'sick in her bones'.
Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.
