Harvey Weinstein on brink of $44m settlement over sex accusations
HARVEY WEINSTEIN, the Hollywood mogul, has reached a tentative $44 million (£34 million) settlement that would include compensation for his alleged victims.
Scores of women have accused the producer of sexual misconduct. The deal aims to cover all civil cases brought against him, including allegations made in the UK and Canada.
It would not affect criminal proceedings against Weinstein. He has pleaded not guilty to charges including rape and a trial is expected to begin in New York in September. Weinstein, 67, has repeatedly denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.the civil cases against him include a class action by alleged victims which accuses The Weinstein Company, the studio he cofounded, of failing to protect employees from his alleged sexual misconduct.
Also included in the settlement would be a civil action by the New York Attorney General alleging that the studio breached employment laws by enabling the mistreatment of women.
The $44 million would include $30million for a group comprising alleged victims, former employees of The Weinstein Company, and creditors of the studio. It was not clear how much would be assigned to each.
The remaining $14million would pay the legal fees of associates of Weinstein, including former members of the studio’s board.
The Weinstein Company filed for bankruptcy in March last year, and mediation with alleged victims and creditors has been going on since.
Adam Harris, a lawyer for the studio, told a bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Delaware, that a settlement had been “agreed in principal” by alleged victims, creditors, and the New York Attorney General. He said the studio’s insurers, who will pay the $44million, had also agreed.
Mr Harris told the court: “If approved, it would provide significant compensation to victims, creditors, and allow the parties to avoid years of costly, time-consuming and uncertain litigation on all sides.”
He said the settlement, which has not yet been signed, had been complex and there had been “very strong feelings” during a “highly charged” mediation.
The lawyer added: “We’re dealing with potential claims here that go back more than 25 years. I think we are poised to get there. I personally am very optimistic.”
More than 70 women, many of them young actresses, have publicly accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct stretching back decades, and he has been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
His accusers have included the actresses Ashley Judd, Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek.
The allegations against Weinstein helped launch the #Metoo movement, which has led to dozens of powerful men in entertainment, politics and other fields being accused of sexual misconduct.