Claims by Peter Jackson that Harvey Weinstein barred actresses from working on LOTR have been denied by the disgraced American producer.

Weinstein's spokeswoman Holly Baird said in a statement that Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob "had no input into the casting whatsoever".

Kiwi director Peter Jackson told Fairfax that Harvey Weinstein's studio Miramax told him to avoid actresses Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino, saying they were a

"nightmare to work with".

"At the time, we had no reason to question what these guys were telling us - but in hindsight, I realise that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing," he said, according to Fairfax.

"I now suspect we were fed false information about both of these talented women - and as a direct result their names were removed from our casting list."
Sorvino said on Twitter that she burst out crying after reading Jackson's comments.

"There it is, confirmation that Harvey Weinstein derailed my career, something I suspected but was unsure. Thank you Peter Jackson for being honest. I'm just heartsick," she wrote on the social media site.

Judd responded on Twitter to Jackson's comments that she recalled a detailed discussion with Jackson about which role she preferred but then never heard anything but.

"I appreciate the truth coming out. Thank you, Peter."

Both Judd and Sorvino have this year publicly accused Weinstein of sexual harassment.
Jackson said he had "no direct experience or knowledge of the sexual allegations".