Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein just got some very bad news as his victims were awarded an $18.875 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit.
Variety reported that these payments resolve two different lawsuits, the first being one against Weinstein, Bob Weinstein and The Weinstein Company, which was filed in February of 2018 by the office of the Attorney General.
The second lawsuit, which was filed in November of 2017, was brought on the behalf of the women who were victimized by Weinstein.
If this massive payment is approved by the court, it will be used to create a victims’ fund for all of the women who were sexually assaulted by Weinstein, who is currently serving a 23 year prison sentence for rape in New York.
He is also still awaiting trial in Los Angeles, California, where he is facing up to 32 years in prison for five charges, but the extradition process has unfortunately been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company failed their female employees. After all the harassment, threats and discrimination, these survivors are finally receiving some justice,” said Attorney General Letitia James.
“For more than two years, my office has fought tirelessly in the pursuit of justice for the women whose lives were upended by Harvey Weinstein. This agreement is a win for every woman who has experienced sexual harassment, discrimination, intimidation or retaliation by her employer.”
“I thank the brave women who came forward to share their stories with my office,” she added.
“I will forever carry their stories in my heart and never stop fighting for the right of every single person to be able to work harassment-free.”
Attorneys Douglas Wigdor and Kevin Mintzer spoke out to blast this settlement, which they describe as a “complete sellout” of the women who want Weinstein held responsible for his crimes.
The two attorneys are representing various women who still want to see Weinstein brought to trial for what he did to them:
“The proposed settlement is a complete sellout of the Weinstein survivors and we are surprised that the Attorney General could somehow boast about a proposal that fails on so many different levels. While we do not begrudge any survivor who truly wants to participate in this deal, as we understand the proposed agreement, it is deeply unfair for many reasons. First, Harvey Weinstein accepts no responsibility for his actions. Second, Harvey Weinstein isn’t paying any money toward the settlement despite now having been found guilty in Manhattan criminal court.
Third, the director defendants, who we allege had knowledge of Weinstein’s behavior, will be receiving millions of dollars to reimburse their defense costs. Fourth, if this settlement were approved by the courts, survivors who do not wish to participate in the settlement but would prefer instead to hold Harvey Weinstein accountable, will be unable to pursue the multi-billion dollar insurance companies and the directors because they will receive legal releases.
And fifth, the class action lawyers will be seeking millions of dollars in fees for an objectively unsuccessful result. We are completely astounded that the Attorney General is taking a victory lap for this unfair and inequitable proposal, and on behalf of our clients, we will be vigorously objecting in court.”
Weinstein’s lawyers also had a brief response to the settlement.
“With closure in sight on one front, Mr. Weinstein remains intently focused in defending himself on all remaining legal matters, including the appeal of his criminal conviction, civil lawsuits, and the charges filed against him in LA,” attorney Imran Ansari said in a statement.
“He continues to pursue all legal recourse available to him and remains steadfast in the defense of those matters.”
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