Almost as soon as an attorney stood up in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware last week and announced that a tentative $44-million deal had been struck between Harvey Weinstein, his former film studio’s board and a number of women who have accused the disgraced movie mogul of sexual misconduct, the squabbling began anew, the Los Angeles Times reported. At once, the proposed settlement was denounced as offering inadequate compensation to the victims while enabling Weinstein and the directors of the Weinstein Co. to evade accountability or liability. The Hollywood producer behind such Oscar-winning hits as “Shakespeare in Love,” “Chicago” and “The King’s Speech” was fired from his company in October 2017 after dozens of women accused him of sexual misconduct.
Attorneys for two of the alleged victims rejected the proposal outright, while another questioned whether this was an attempt to derail the deal and maximize their clients’ position and grab the lion’s share of compensation. Victims expressed disgust at the entire process; one called it “absolutely re-traumatizing.”
