Harvey Weinstein Reaches A Tentative $44 Million Deal To Settle Lawsuits

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has reached a tentative $44 million deal with his accusers to resolve lawsuits and compensate, the  Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

According to reports, Weinstein and his board members have reached a tentative $44 million deal to resolve lawsuits filed by women who accused him of sexual misconduct. The New York Times also reported that $30 million would go to alleged victims, employees and creditors of Weinstein’s former film studio — The Weinstein Company.

Weinstein was accused of sexually harassing or abusing over 75 women, which later he denied of being involved in.

However, he is still going to face trial in New York in June on criminal charges brought by two women, including rape. Weinstein's team later told the Wall Street Journal that the size of the settlement would be approximately $44m.

The 67-year-old stands accused of sexual misconduct by several women. Rose McGowan is one of the first women to publicly accuse Weinstein of sexual harassment. Last year, Annabella Sciorra came out publicly to accuse Harvey Weinstein of rape. She spoke out about his behaviour as several surfaced in the public, explaining his sexual misconduct. This incident occurred in her New York apartment in the ‘90s.

Also Read: Law alone can’t deter sexual harassment at workplace

Survivors react

In an essay for Time, Ashley Judd, another accuser, also echoed the same sentiment, saying she “didn’t have a reaction” to Weinstein’s arrest.

Judd ridiculed the law, saying someone “can navigate the duality of having aggressed and address their abuse of power with culpability and integrity.”

“What Harvey Weinstein’s Arrest Does — And Doesn’t — Change for the #MeToo Movement”

“As I spoke with others for whom the ground was shaking, I realized my feeling was that a sexual predator being legally accountable for criminal behaviour is and should be normal, routine and not particularly newsworthy. And I also understood why it is thunderous news.”

Paz de la Huerta too shared her feelings about his arrest. “I just felt extremely emotional today,” de la Huerta told  Vanity Fair. “I couldn’t stop crying. I don’t know why. It should be a day of celebration, but I feel melancholic about it all.”

“Part of me is very happy, and part of me is sad. It brings up a lot of painful memories, and it also gives me hope that justice does exist.”

In November last year, the actress had accused Harvey Weinstein of raping her twice in 2010.

Weinstein's side

Weinstein had reportedly been working on a plan to make a documentary on himself. Sources told that this documentary would tell his side of the story.

“He’s been trying to get a documentary done on him,” said a film insider of Weinstein to Page Six. “He wanted to make a film he could control — he’d been calling people,” said the source

A dozen women, including movie stars Angelina Jolie, Ashley Judd and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused him of sexual harassment and assault. The film producer has denied the claims.

Read More Stories By Ria Das