Less than a year after news broke out of producer Harvey Weinstein’s slew of sexual misconduct that has been going on for years, the former Hollywood producer is set to be arrested in New York for rape charges. There’s going to be new material to add to the forthcoming film from Annapurna Pictures and Plan B Entertainment detailing the scandal that shook the industry as the disgraced media mogul is poised to surrender himself to the police.
It may have been a couple of years late, but it seems like Weinstein is finally going to be prosecuted for his notorious inappropriate behavior toward women. Back in 2015, he dodged the bullet when no charges were filed against him despite incriminating tapes coming from a sting operation with his encounter with model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez. District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who was handling the case at that time, is currently being investigated with regard to the matter. Weinstein, on the other hand, is facing more sexual allegations from countless women - two of which will be enough to institute legal proceedings.
According to a report from the New York Times citing information from law enforcement officials who requested to remain anonymous, Weinstein is set to turn himself in today to Manhattan officials. The producer is facing first-degree and third-degree rape in one case and first-degree sex act in another. The latter involves an encounter with Lucia Evans, who accuses the 66-year-old of forcing her to perform oral sex on him during a supposed casting meeting at the Miramax office in TriBeCa. Meanwhile, the victim of the former has yet to be publicly revealed.
After surrendering himself at a police precinct, Weinstein will be taken to Manhattan Criminal Court to be arraigned on the charges. Weinstein’s camp has yet to address the reports as Benjamin Brafman, his New York-based attorney, has declined to comment on whether or not his client will be turning himself in, as reported. But pre-negotiated deal package would mandate him to wear a monitoring device, as well as surrender his passport, which frankly, sounds a bit too soft considering the emotional and physical trauma he’s inflicted on countless women over the years. Aside from cases filed in New York, Weinstein also faces similar charges in Los Angeles and London.
It was only a matter of time before Weinstein’s terrible behavior caught up with him. For years, the producer felt invincible, using money to silence his victims while he rubbed elbows with Hollywood A-listers and political figures. If there’s any good that came out of this, it’s that it paved the way for movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp which shine a light on this specific problem across all industries. It has also empowered women to call out those who have taken advantaged of them. In Hollywood alone, there’s already a long list of actors, creatives and executives who have been outed. And while not all of them may be facing criminal charges like Weinstein, the fact that being exposed caused them to lose their jobs and careers, should scare those who still think that they can get away with their bad behavior to stop - if knowing that what they’re doing is wrong isn’t already enough reason to do so.
MORE: Morgan Freeman Accused Of Harassment, Inappropriate Behavior
Source: New York Times
