The last time we saw Harvey Weinstein, he was being shouted at by a protester at an event in New York.
Quite why he is allowed out of the house is beyond me, let alone being invited to attend events, but money and power don’t just disappear overnight.
The most recent development in the Harvey Weinstein saga will see the disgraced mogul shelling out an estimated $25 million to more than 30 women, who brought civil lawsuits against him.
Before you consider this any form of justice, consider that the man himself won’t be handing over a cent.
This from the Guardian:
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that a tentative deal had been agreed involving Weinstein’s numerous alleged victims in the US, Canada, Britain and Ireland. The proposal is awaiting final approval from the courts and from individuals involved, the newspaper says, but once those last hurdles are cleared payouts would be made by insurance companies handling the bankruptcy of the Weinstein Company.
Harvey Weinstein himself would not have to pay a penny to his accusers or have to admit wrongdoing under the terms of the settlement, the Times reports. The lack of personal accountability for the former movie producer has caused expressions of disappointment and anger from several of the women involved, though parties to the negotiations insist that the legal options open to them were limited.
That’s the problem with fighting someone like Weinstein, who has almost limitless resources at his disposal.
Two of the women involved have refused to join the settlement, so there could still be some developments on that front.
Thankfully, those civil lawsuits aren’t the only legal matters brought against Weinstein, and he will still have more days in court:
On 6 January his criminal trial is scheduled to open with jury selection in a Manhattan court.
The criminal charges against him include the alleged rape of a woman in 2013 and an accusation of forced oral sex on a similarly unnamed woman in 2006. Weinstein has denied any claim of nonconsensual sex, criminal or civil.
In August Weinstein was also charged with two counts of predatory sexual assault to allow a third woman, the actor Annabella Sciorra, to testify about an alleged rape in 1993. Though the statute of limitations has passed in that incident, prosecutors hope her testimony will demonstrate a pattern of behavior on the part of the defendant that will help secure his conviction.
He’s clearly going for the ailing old man look with his recent court appearances.
These, from December 6:
And then these, from yesterday:
You’ll have to excuse me if my sympathies are limited.
Weinstein was recently accused of trying to tamper with his ankle monitor, and his bail was yesterday raised from $1 million to $5 million as a result.
[source:guardian]
