Dozens of women came forward with Harvey Weinstein allegations. A new accuser has led to a new charge
CBC
Seven years after sexual assault and harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein turbocharged the #MeToo movement, the ex-movie mogul faces a new sex crime charge from an accuser who's never told her story publicly.
While awaiting retrial on other sex charges in a landmark #MeToo case, Weinstein pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new charge of forcing oral sex on a woman in a Manhattan hotel in spring 2006. Prosecutors released no details about her, and Weinstein's lawyer said he had no idea who she is.
But an attorney said that she represents the woman and that she has never made her accusation public.
"She will be fully prepared to speak her truth at trial to hold Mr. Weinstein accountable before a jury of his peers," the lawyer, Lindsay Goldbrum, said in a statement. She said the woman doesn't want to be identified for now, and the law firm declined to say anything more about her or her accusation.
According to the indictment and another court document, the alleged assault — the specific charge is a "criminal sex act" — happened at a lower Manhattan hotel between April 29, 2006, and May 6 of that year.
Weinstein has long maintained that he never engaged in any sexual activity that wasn't consensual.
Defence attorney Arthur Aidala reiterated Wednesday that his client "never forced himself on anyone." Aidala said he had "absolutely no clue" about the accuser's identity or the specifics of the allegation.
"We have a lot of work to do. We have to find out who that person is. We have to do an investigation," he said outside court.
The 72-year-old Weinstein, who is recovering from emergency surgery, came to court in a wheelchair.
The once-powerful studio boss became a #MeToo arch-villain in October 2017, when reporting by The New York Times and The New Yorker pulled back a curtain on claims about his behaviour, and a series of previously undisclosed payments made to women to buy their silence.
In a matter of weeks, more than 80 women had come forward with allegations, accusing Weinstein of sexual harassment or, in some cases, sexual assault. The women included Canadian actors, and a California jury heard testimony on an allegation set at a Toronto hotel during the city's renowned international film festival.
WATCH | Explaining the New York reversal on Weinstein:
The outpouring touched off a far broader reckoning with sexual misconduct, and the allegations led to Weinstein's professional downfall, multiple lawsuits and criminal charges on both U.S. coasts.
His 2020 rape and sexual assault conviction was a watershed #MeToo moment, followed by his 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in that case, which is to be served after his New York criminal proceedings are resolved.
