Former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has pleaded not guilty on rape and criminal sex act charges. Mr. Weinstein was indicted by a grand jury and appeared in front of a judge in New York on Tuesday. He was looking pale and expressionless as he limped from his SUV, shielded from an army of journalists, whom he did not speak to and once inside the courtroom, Mr. Weinstein was asked if he understood his rights, and then answered a series of yes and no questions from the judge.
After just 40 minutes, he was back in his SUV, which then drove off. The charges each carry a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
His lawyers have said they plan on beating the case before it goes to trial, and according to Mr. Weinstein‘s attorney, Ben Brafman, they believe they stand a strong chance based on the evidence they have learned about.
His behaviour has been going on for years
The former Hollywood producer was indicted last week on charges involving two women. But since The Associated Press does not identify alleged victims of sexual assaults unless they come forward publicly, the identity of only one of those victims is known. Actress Lucia Evans said Mr. Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him back in 2004. The other, unidentified woman, told investigators that Mr. Weinstein had raped her in a hotel room.
Dozens of other women have accused him of sexual harassment and although he has denied many of them, Harvey Weinstein‘s behaviour was labelled by the New York Times to have been Hollywood‘s worst kept secret and according to numerous articles, that behaviour of his has been going on for years.
Actor Brad Pitt is said to have threatened to kill Mr.
Weinstein after he allegedly acted inappropriately towards his then girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow back in the 90‘s. At the Oscars in 2013, comedian Seth McFarlane stood on stage with actress Emma Stone to reveal the five nominees for the best-supporting-actress and joked that, "you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein”.
Accusations triggered the Me Too movement
But even with all the accusations, Mr. Weinstein is only being charged on two counts and his attorney, Mr. Brafman has called the rape allegation absurd and pointed out that his client and the accuser had continued their decade-long relationship of consensual sex, after the alleged attack in 2013.
The flood of accusations against Mr. Weinstein triggered the dynamic Me Too movement that helped men and women all over the world gain the courage to speak out against powerful men who had used their authoritative positions two sexually abuse them. Mr. Weinstein, who is also being investigated by the police in both London and Los Angeles, checked himself into sex therapy in Arizona after he claims against him grew louder.
