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The New York Times Discovers Harvey Weinstein Paid Off at Least Eight Sexual Harassment Accusers
The New York Times has recently published previously undisclosed sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein, a renowned Hollywood movie producer. Earlier this month, Mr. Weinstein was terminated from The Weinstein Company after the details of three decades of sexual harassment allegations made against him by actresses and employees.
Mr. Weinstein is one of the co-creators of the Weinstein Company and has been one of the most influential movie producers in Hollywood for decades. Following the expose by The New York Times that detailed the sexual harassment allegations, Mr. Weinstein took an indefinite leave of absence, which was endorsed by the Weinstein Company board of directors, pending an investigation. As new information emerged, the board decided to terminate the executive’s employment at the company.
Weinstein’s criminal defense attorney has publicly criticized The New York Times. However, The New York Times stated they were ‘’confident in the accuracy of [their] reporting’’, as reported by Chicago Tribune.
The investigation conducted by The New York Times uncovered at least eight instances of Mr. Weinstein paying off his sexual harassment accusers. Namely, previously undisclosed allegations were discovered in interviews, legal records, emails and other internal documents, and were supported by the statements of two company officials who insisted on remaining anonymous.
In a statement to The Times, Mr. Weinstein apologized for the pain he might have caused, adding that he was taking a leave of absence to seek professional help and deal with the issue. Still, he denies many of the accusations made against him. He also stated that many claims made in a memo sent by Lauren O’Connor, a former employee at The Weinstein Company, were ‘’off base’’. In her memo addressed to several executives at The Weinstein Company, Mrs. O’Connor details the experience of Emily Nestor, another sexual harassment accuser, as well as her own.
Mr. Weinstein and his representatives have so far declined to comment on the alleged settlements. However, Charles Harder, Mr. Weinstein’s attorney, implied that any evidence of alleged settlements is ‘’not evidence of anything’’, as reported by The New York Times.
Ever since Mrs. O’Connor’s memo was written in 2015, other testimonials of Mr. Weinstein’s misconduct have emerged. A number of current and former employees of Mr. Weinstein stated that they were familiar with his inappropriate behavior, but few confronted him. As revealed by The New York Times, the employees at the Weinstein Company are prohibited by contract to criticize the company or its leaders in such a way that could jeopardize the company’s ‘’business reputation’’ or ‘’any employee’s personal reputation’’. The confidentiality clause may be one of the primary reasons for alleged victims’ and witnesses’ silence on the matter.
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Vik Monder is an experienced criminal defense attorney San Diego residents rely on for aggressive legal representation. For further clarification on sex crimes law in California, sex offender registration and other aspects or criminal law, schedule a free consultation at 619-405-0063.
