Harvey Weinstein Has Reached A ‘Tentative £19 Million Deal’ With 30 Women That Accused Him Of Sexual Misconduct

Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers have reached a tentative £19 million settlement with 30 actors accusing him of sexual misconduct. According to the lawyers, he will not have to admit fault or be personally liable to pay. He is still facing life in prison for a separate case of rape and sexual assault that begins trial next month.

Weinstein is reported to have reached the settlement with around 30 actors and ex-employees who would have to share the pay-out. He was accused of wrongdoing by more than 75 women, but most of the encounters were too historic to be actionable in court. Therefore, he is currently only facing two women in criminal court.

Because of this, many of his victims chose to file civil lawsuits with a settlement their best outcome. However, many are now highlighting how broken US judicial the system truly is when it comes to sexual misconduct if a settlement is the best justice these women can hope for.

The £19 mil agreement – which is not final – was reported by The New York Times. The conditions include the following: plaintiffs would the pay out; almost all related civil lawsuits against Weinstein and his employer would end; Weinstein would not admit wrongdoing; he would not personally pay, rather his insurance company would, and the settlement money is part of a larger $47m package that closes the Weinstein’s companies liabilities – which includes legal fees.

Court approval is required to settle the agreement, with all parties involved needing to sign off. While the NYT said most of the parties have approved of the deal, some women have spoken out against it.

‘I think the settlement is a joke and it signifies an absolutely broken system,’ Zoe Brock, an actor and model involved in the case, told the BBC. ‘I'm devastated by it, I'm appalled by it.’

The Times Up organisation also tweeted, ‘If this is the best the survivors could get, the system is broken.’

However, lawyers involved in the case have insisted this is the best possible outcome for the women. ‘I don't think there's a markedly better deal to be made,’ Genie Harrison, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs told the NYT, urging other victims to ‘come forward and be able to get the best level of compensation we were able to get’.

Other victims of Weinstein are still able to join the suit, however experts have warned that the settlement harms those who are yet to come forward. ‘[It’s] outrageous that the proposed settlement will seek to bind non-participating members by providing a release to the insurance companies and the directors of the Weinstein Company itself,’ Douglas Wigdor, another lawyer for some of the plaintiffs, told the BBC.

Weinstein’s criminal trial begins on the 6th of January in Manhattan where he will face charges for raping a woman in a hotel room in 2013 and forcing oral sex on another in 2006. He has denied the charges. He made headlines yesterday when he arrived at court using a walking frame, with his lawyers stating he was undergoing surgery for injuries suffered in a car accident in August.

However, many commentators were quick to accuse him of trying to garner sympathy by using the walker. During the court session, his bail was raised from $1billion to $5billion after he reportedly removed his ankle monitor.

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