Shamed Weinstein to pay £35million
Movie mogul agrees deal to settle with women who accused him of sexual harassment
HOLLYWOOD producer harvey weinstein has reached a provisional £35million deal to pay off alleged sexual misconduct victims in the US and UK.
The agreement will give £24million to his accusers in civil suits and creditors of weinstein’s bankrupt studio.
Another £11million will help cover legal fees of other board members of the weinstein Company who were also sued. weinstein will not have to find the cash himself as it will instead come from insurance policies covering him and the company. The civil lawchett. suits, filed by some two dozen women in the US, UK and Canada, name more than 15 defendants, including Mr weinstein and associates who were on the company’s board.
Some of the alleged incidents go back more than 25 years. The women claim weinstein’s colleagues helped facilitate his alleged sexual misconduct, which they have denied. The deal doesn’t cover criminal charges.
weinstein has been accused of sexual harassment, assault and even rape by more than 80 women. his accusers range from personal assistants to hollywood actresses including Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Cate Blanweinstein, 67, has flatly denied all allegations of non-consensual sex so all of his accusers will be anxious to see if he admits any sort of wrongdoing in the civil suit deal.
The proposed sum is large but less than half what was originally mooted. The New york Attorney General’s office, which sued the weinstein Company for gender discrimination last year, had called on it to set up a £71million victims’ fund before it went bankrupt. The Attorney General
‘It’s been a long, complex process’
accused Weinstein Co executives and board members of failing to protect employees from a hostile work environment and Weinstein’s sexual misconduct.
Weinstein was once arguably the most powerful producer in Hollywood, credited with winning Oscars glory for films including shakespeare In love. Many accusations relate to sexual harassment, which isn’t a criminal offence in us law. Others cover more serious allegations but are too old to prosecute in a criminal court under new York’s statute of limitations.
the Weinstein Company filed for bankruptcy last year after being inundated with lawsuits from women claiming it had covered up the producer’s sexual misconduct. lawyers said negotiations with Weinstein’s accusers had been ‘highly adversarial’ and there had been growing pressure to agree a deal to end rocketing legal fees.
‘It’s been a long, complex process and we do feel this settlement provides a measure of justice though it’s not everything one might hope for,’ said aaron Filler, a lawyer for actress Paz de la Huerta, who claims Weinstein raped her twice. she had sought £47million in damages. those involved in the civil case are due to meet next week to sort out final details. a bankruptcy court judge will decide whether to approve the deal on June 4. Weinstein’s criminal trial in new York is scheduled to start in september.
He has denied charges that he forced two women to engage in a sex act with him – marketing executive lucia evans in 2004, and Mimi Haleyi, a production assistant, in 2006. Charges include predatory sexual assault, which carries a maximum penalty of life in jail.