Women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct will be compensated from a $17 million fund after a Delaware bankruptcy judge approved a plan to liquidate his former film studio, the Wall Street Journal reported. The women are expected on average to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars or more under the deal to liquidate Weinstein Co., which filed for bankruptcy in 2018 after numerous allegations of sexual abuse and harassment against Weinstein became public. Judge Mary Walrath of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., yesterday approved the settlement during a court hearing held via videoconference, saying that the deal provides Weinstein’s victims with a fair and private process for obtaining compensation without having to endure years of public and uncertain legal proceedings. Evidence presented during the chapter 11 case showed Weinstein abused women over several years, Judge Walrath said, adding that though the deal may provide closure for victims, compensation alone can’t provide complete recompense for harm they have suffered. The settlement, funded by insurance, is the culmination of years of negotiations and was revised last year after a New York federal judge rejected a related agreement. The deal approved by Judge Walrath gives women the option — but doesn’t require them — to release Weinstein of potential civil litigation, and they would receive greater compensation if they choose to do so.
