Harvey Weinstein Pleads Not Guilty to Rape Charges
By Brent Lang
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Harvey Weinstein pled not guilty on Tuesday morning to charges of rape and other acts of sexual misconduct.
The charges involve two alleged victims. The first, Lucia Evans, claims that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex at his Tribeca office in 2004. The other woman has not been named, but she is alleging that Weinstein held her against her will and raped her at a Manhattan hotel room in 2013.
The mogul arrived at a Manhattan court house shortly before 10 a.m. to enter his plea. He was wearing a dark suit and limping slightly. Cameras flashed around him as he exited a black SUV and navigated the dozens of reporters lining up outside the building and calling out to the mogul for comment. The courthouse was packed, with people turned away. Prominent women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred was among those watching as Weinstein was arraigned.
Weinstein was once a major figure in Hollywood — his volatile personality and penchant for backing award-winning movies like “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love” made him alternately feared and admired. However, his downfall has been stunning and dramatic. Since being accused of assault and harassment last October by dozens of women, Weinstein has been forced out of the Weinstein Company, expelled from industry organizations such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and become the face of one of the biggest scandals in the history of the entertainment industry. Weinstein’s accusers emboldened other men and women to come forward with their stories of abuse. In recent months, powerful media figures such as Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Spacey, Russell Simmons, and Charlie Rose have been accused of sexual misbehavior.
Weinstein has been wearing a GPS-enabled monitoring device as part of a $1 million bail agreement. He is being represented by attorney Benjamin Brafman. This is the first case to be brought against Weinstein, but it may not be the only one. Prosecutors in Los Angeles and London are also reviewing allegations against the film producer.
