Harvey Weinstein and the board of directors of his former film studios. That have gone bankrupt have agreed to pay $25 million as a settlement to the dozens of women who accuse him of preying on them. After that two of his accusers disclosed this and the attorney of a third woman whom Weinstein had sexually assaulted.
The development comes in the backdrop of the disgraced movie. So, the television producer Weinstein attending a court hearing at Manhattan on December 11 using a walker, a sign of his deteriorating health. According to Weinstein’s attorney Donna Rotunno, her client is to undergo back surgery on Thursday. It is to relieve back pain while awaiting the start of the sexual assault trial in January.
A deal is in the offing
One of the accusers Caitlin Dulany told NBC News in an interview that Weinstein and also his former directors, officers and associates had negotiated a settlement to put an end to nearly all the civil cases against him. They are pending for about $47 million of which the women would receive compensation for $25 million. Dulany had accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in 1996 during the Cannes film festival. The Times has corroborated the information about the deal in a report by citing 6 lawyers. Some of who spoke on terms of anonymity about the deal. According to the lawyers, the accusers include more than 30 actresses. Weinstein’s former employees who have sued the movie mogul for accusations encompassing sexual misconduct and rape have accepted the proposal.
The terms of the deal
The proposed deal that took less than two years to take shape. It would need the approval of the judges in two cases involving Weinstein. That have set the terms of a settlement wherein Weinstein would neither be required to pay to his accusers directly nor admit to the wrongdoing as confirmed by Dulany and the attorney of the third woman.
The money would come from the kitty of the insurance companies who were the underwriters for Weinstein’s companies. They must shell out $6.2 million to pay to the 18 women who are the direct accusers and have sued Weinstein independently. The remaining $18.5 million will be kept as a settlement fund in a New York class-action lawsuit. All the class members of the suit would be entitled to the fund. It also includes cases with the expired statute of limitations.
The deal meets with objections
As the word of the proposal spread online, objections started flowing in. One of the first women to accuse Weinstein, a model named Zoe Brock. That issued a statement expressing her heartbreak about the settlement. She explained her compulsion to sign the settlement in the absence of any other alternative and hoped that the criminal system would not go as easy on Weinstein as the civil system has.
Kevin Mintzer and Douglas Wigdor, the lawyers of two accusers, raised objections and said that they were prepared to object to any deal that seeks to block accusers who are keen to proceed with holding Weinstein accountable for his actions, a move that they concur with.
