Harvey Weinstein has been charged with rape and several counts of sexual abuse. He turned himself into police in New York City earlier today, after having spent time in sex rehab in Arizona. After having his mugshot and fingerprints taken, he was led out in handcuffs.
Dozens of women have accused the 66-year-old of rape and sexual assault, their voices being the loud force that eventually started the powerful #MeToo movement that has spread across the world. The movement has given women everywhere the power to speak up against sexual abuse and has been described as a major turning point in how accusations about sexual abuse and other misconduct is treated.
Mr. Weinstein has, however, denied committing any non-consensual sex act and is expected to enter a not guilty plea according to his lawyer. Mr Weinstein is currently out on one million dollar bail and is wearing a monitoring device, BBC reports.
Used his power and position
In light of the accusations against Mr Weinstein, it is alleged that he used his powerful position as a Hollywood producer to lure young women into situations where he could take advantaged of them. Many of the women have said they felt cornered, with some describing how they were simply too afraid to say no, terrified of being shunned from Hollywood all together.
The charges stem from two separate accusers, and although details are unknown, Lucia Evans is said to be one of the women.
Evans said that Weinstein forced her into oral sex back in 2004 but she has not made a public statement regarding the issue. Weinstein, once thought to be Hollywood's biggest hotshot, has not been seen publicly since allegations against him first emerged in October 2017. Among those who have spoken out against the former mogul is actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who accused Weinstein of acting inappropriately towards her back in 1995 when she was only 22-years-old.
Paltrow told her then boyfriend, Brad Pitt, about the incident and says that Pitt had been visibly shaken. Pitt then threatened to kill Weinstein if he ever tried anything with Paltrow again.
Seeking therapy for sex addiction
Since the #MeToo movement started, things have gone downhill for Mr Weinstein. He was fired from his production firm that he founded with his two brothers, and the company later filed for bankruptcy.
He was also dropped from the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Science and other organisations, and late last year his wife, British actress and fashion designer Georgina Chapman, filed for divorce. The couple has two children together.
In light of the accusations, Mr Weinstein checked himself into rehab in Arizona, where he has been seeking treatment for sex addiction. A report published by the New York Times gives a detailed description on what the disgraced producer has been up to since entering rehab and it is a far cry from his former glamour life in Hollywood. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, Mr Weinstein's behaviour has been described as Hollywood's worst kept secret. In a documentary director, Barry Avrich did on the downfall of Harvey Weinstein and the rise of the #MeToo movement, Mr Weinstein's former assistant Zelda Perkins speaks out. "With Harvey, there was no such word as no," she says. Investigations into Mr Weinstein's case continues.
