Mogul pleads not guilty in rape, sex case
HARVEY Weinstein yesterday pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges in a New York courtroom – the next step in a high-stakes legal battle that the #MeToo movement hopes will end with the disgraced Hollywood mogul behind bars.
The producer, 66, whose career imploded in a blaze of accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse from dozens of women that triggered a global reckoning about harassment in the workplace, could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Weinstein uttered only a few words at the brief arraignment hearing in Manhattan.
He has steadfastly denied all accusations of non-consensual sex.
Weinstein, the former Tinseltown powerbroker whose films earned dozens of Oscars, was charged with rape and another sex crime in New York late last month, nearly eight months after the first public allegations against him surfaced.
The twice-married father of five has been indicted for allegedly forcing a woman to perform oral sex on him in 2004, and for allegedly raping another at a Manhattan hotel in 2013.
Benjamin Brafman, one of America’s most celebrated criminal defence attorneys, did most of the talking for Weinstein at his hearing.
“Mr Weinstein is presumed innocent, however, reprehensible the crime may be, it is also reprehensible to falsely accuse someone of rape,” Brafman said. “We intend to fight this in the courtroom.” Brafman says the rape complaint came from a woman who had a 10-year affair with Weinstein, but the information was not confirmed.
The accusation of forced oral sex comes from Lucia Evans, a marketing consultant who, in 2004, was an aspiring actress.
Since October, nearly 100 women have said they were harassed or sexually abused by Weinstein over more than two decades.
Salma Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie are among more than two dozen actresses who allege they were sexually harassed by the producer. A few, including Asia Argento and Rose McGowan, allege they were raped.
The #MeToo movement has seen people around the world come forward with cases of sexual mistreatment, leading to the downfall of powerful men across industries, including Oscar winner Kevin Spacey.
Weinstein remains free on $1-million (R12.76million) bail. He is wearing a GPS monitoring device, and his travel is restricted to the states of New York and Connecticut. – AFP