Weinstein said to have settled suits for $44M
Harvey Weinstein and his former studio’s board members have reached a tentative $44 million deal to resolve lawsuits filed by women who accused him of sexual misconduct and by the New York state attorney general, according to three people briefed on the matter.
The outcome of the settlement talks will be especially notable because the lawsuits are one of the main avenues by which Weinstein could be held responsible for his alleged actions.
He is facing criminal charges in New York for allegations of sexual violence against two women. But more than 80 women have accused him of wrongdoing, and many of those complaints involve sexual harassment, which is a civil violation, not a criminal one. So the details of any settlement — such as whether it includes an admission of wrongdoing by Weinstein — would carry significant symbolism.
The proposed sum is less than half of what was initially discussed as a victims’ fund as part of conversations last year between an investor group that was interested in buying assets of The Weinstein Co. and Eric T. Schneiderman, who was then New York’s attorney general. That proposed deal, which fell apart at the last minute, included a victims’ fund worth up to $90 million.
Under the proposed terms of the new deal, about $30 million would go to a pool of plaintiffs that includes alleged victims, creditors of Weinstein’s former studio and some former employees, according to the people briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the agreement was made privately.