Harvey Weinstein and his accusers on Wednesday reached an $18.8 million settlement in Manhattan’s federal court as part of a class-action lawsuit.
Now, the judge must grant preliminary approval of the settlement before holding a fairness hearing for its final formalization.
According to a press release obtained by Fox News, the nine plaintiffs in the lawsuit intend to use the settlement money to “create a victims’ fund allowing all women who were abused by Harvey Weinstein under certain circumstances to make claims for damages in a confidential and non-adversarial process.”
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Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to over 20 years in prison.
(Getty)
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The New York State Office of the Attorney General is “supporting the settlement,” the release said.
“Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company failed their female employees. After all the harassment, threats, and discrimination, these survivors are finally receiving some justice,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
“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. 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.”
In February 2018, the New York attorney general filed a complaint after a probe found that The Weinstein Company was fostering a culture of a hostile work environment.
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However, attorneys Douglas Wigdor and Kevin Mintzer released a statement denouncing the settlement. The attorneys represent Rowena Chiu, Wedil David, Dominique Huett, Zelda Perkins, Kaja Sokola and Tarale Wulff.
“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,” Wigdor and Mintzer’s joint statement begins.
It continues: “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 settlement but would prefer instead to hold Harvey Weinstein accountable, will be unable to purse 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, 68, is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York after being found guilty of sexual assault and rape. According to Variety, while only six women testified during the movie mogul’s trial, over 100 have accused him of sexual misconduct.
Harvey Weinstein arrives at a Manhattan court.
(AP)
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Most recently, in late May, four additional women accused Weinstein of rape in a new lawsuit, one of whom was 17 years old at the time of her alleged attack.
The disgraced producer still awaits trial in Los Angeles, Calif., where he could face up to 32 years in prison for the five charges filed against him, although the spread of coronavirus has delayed the extradition process.
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Weinstein’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
Fox News’ Marta Dhanis contributed to this report
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