Disgraced media mogul, Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by almost 80 women, has reached a tentative $44 million deal to settle lawsuits with his accusers and other entities, according to The Wall Street Journal.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Terms of the deal state $30 million would go to Weinstein’s alleged victims, former creditors and some former employees of the Weinstein Company. The remaining $14 million will go towards legal fees of Weinstein’s associates who were named in the lawsuits against him. The funds will come from an insurance policy.
The agreement comes almost two years after the first accusations against Weinstein surfaced. Actresses such as Ashley Judd, Paz de la Huerta, and Lupita Nyong’o accused him of sexual misconduct, along with a multitude of other women throughout his years in entertainment.
A judge threw out Ashely Judd’s sexual harassment claim back in January, in which she accused Weinstein of blacklisting her from movie roles after she denied his sexual advances.
In May 2018, Weinstein was charged with rape, a criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for alleged incidents that involved two separate women in 2004 and 2013. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment in New York City and is currently free on bail. Last October, a judge ruled to dismiss the first charge of criminal sexual act.
Weinstein has continually denied all accusations of non-consensual sex but still faces several criminal charges. As of now, he could serve life in prison if convicted on the other charges. His trial is set for September.
