Harvey Weinstein and accusers 'reach tentative $44m compensation deal'
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has reached a tentative $44m deal to resolve several lawsuits and compensate women who have accused him of sexual misconduct, according to reports.
The settlement – reached with his accusers, his former film studio’s board members and the New York attorney general’s office – was reported by the Wall Street Journal and Associated Press.
It comes more than a year and a half after accusations of sexual misconduct by Weinstein first became public, in October 2017 in the New York Times.
More than 15 lawsuits have been filed accusing Weinstein or his company, the Weinstein Co, of misconduct. The settlement would cover many of them, including a class action by alleged victims and a suit by the New York attorney general accusing the company’s executives and board of failing to protect employees from a hostile work environment.
Harvey Weinstein still faces criminal charges of rape and performing a forcible sex act, and is set to go on trial in New York in September. He denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.
Adam Harris, a lawyer for studio cofounder Bob Weinstein, told a bankruptcy court judge in New York on Thursday that “an economic agreement in principle” had been reached, AP said. The amount of the settlement was not provided.
A representative for Harvey Weinstein declined to comment.
“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, and it reflects a long effort to reach a compromise between different parties that have claims to some of the money from the whole Weinstein enterprise,” Aaron Filler, a lawyer representing one of the plaintiffs, actress Paz De La Huerta, told the Los Angeles Times.
The proposed deal includes $30m for the plaintiffs, who include alleged victims, former company employees and studio creditors, the Journal reported. The other $14m would pay the legal fees of Weinstein’s associates.
Weinstein won plaudits and awards through the company which he cochaired with his brother Bob, as well as their previous studio, Miramax, which was purchased by Disney in 1993. Their best-known films included Oscar-winners Shakespeare in Love, The King’s Speech and Pulp Fiction.
Weinstein fell from grace after more than 70 women, mostly young actresses and others in the movie business, accused him of sexual misconduct dating back decades.
As the accusations against Weinstein mounted, the Weinstein Co fired him and filed for bankruptcy, and he was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Weinstein case was instrumental in launching the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, which have led to dozens of powerful men in entertainment, politics and other fields being accused of sexual misconduct.