Ever
since the news regarding Harvey Weinstein was released, it has been like a
giant black cloud looming over Hollywood. Now, could we be on the way to some
closure for the victims? Well, this depends on where you look. Yes, Weinstein
has agreed a settlement worth $25 million with a number of the women who
accused him of sexual harassment and rape as the civil lawsuit came to a close.
No, not everybody is happy with the result.
Taking
place in New York City on Wednesday, Weinstein raised eyebrows when he arrived
at the court with a walker. However, it seems the judge was nervous about his
movements as they increased the producer’s bail to a whopping $2 million.
According to some reports, he actually refused
to wear an electronic tag
around his ankle.
After
a car accident back in August, Weinstein will undergo surgery today (Thursday)
on his back. Regardless, a tentative deal has been reached in the civil case
against him. Although Weinstein continues to deny all claims that have come his
way across a period
that covers nearly 30 years,
the deal was struck between not only Weinstein and the accusers but also his
former film company.
Details
of the Case
Is
this an admittance of guilt? Well, actually it could be seen as the opposite.
As part of the settlement, Weinstein doesn’t have to admit any wrongdoing, nor
does he have to pay the money himself. Instead, the money will come from The
Weinstein Company’s insurance providers. At the moment, the deal has
‘preliminary approval’ but still needs to be signed off after acceptance by the
court itself.
When
the news of the settlement was revealed, the New York Times reported that $6.2
million would be split between 18 accusers; additionally, no single individual
would receive over $500,000.
Response
to the Settlement
As
mentioned previously, not everybody was happy with the news and one of the
first to respond was the official Twitter account for the Time’s Up campaign.
Not only were they upset at the amount given to 18 of the more
than 80 who had accused Weinstein, they questioned the $12 million that went
towards legal fees for the accused. To sum up the feeling of many, the tweet said,
‘If this is the best the survivors could get, the system is broken.’
With
the case a legal one against Weinstein, many have been cautious in what they
have said. However, one star who didn’t feel the need to stay reserved was
Emily Ratajkowski. Attending the premiere of Uncut Gems, she had ‘f***
harvey’ written on the inside of her upper arm. Just in case the photographers
missed it, she posed with her arms up for good measure.
This
is a story we’re sure will continue in the coming weeks, and a spokesperson for
the NYPD noted the uniqueness of the case. As part of the statement, they
thanked the ‘brave survivors’ for their courage and their attempts to seek
justice.
