Harvey Weinstein entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday to a new charge of forcing oral sex on a woman in a Manhattan hotel in the spring of 2006, while he awaited a retrial on other sex charges in a historic #MeToo case.
On Wednesday, Harvey Weinstein entered a not guilty plea to a fresh accusation of sexual assault. The Associated Press reports that an accuser who has never disclosed her story in public has filed a new sex crime charge against the former movie mogul.
Nearly five months after the Hollywood movie mogul’s previous conviction for sex crimes in New York was overturned, Weinstein entered a not guilty plea, according to Reuters.
Weinstein, 72, who is recuperating from emergency cardiac surgery, pled guilty to first-degree criminal sexual act during a Manhattan state court hearing presided over by Justice Curtis Farber.
Weinstein entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday to a new charge of forcing oral sex on a woman in a Manhattan hotel in the spring of 2006, while awaiting a retrial on additional sex charges in a historic #MeToo case.
Weinstein’s attorney claimed he had no idea who she was, while the prosecution provided no information about her. However, a lawyer claimed to be the woman’s representative and to have never made the accusation public.
The attorney, Lindsay Goldbrum, released a statement saying, “She will be fully prepared to speak her truth at trial to hold Mr. Weinstein accountable before a jury of his peers.” She said that the woman does not want her identity to be made public at this time, and the legal firm would not comment further on either the accusation or the woman.
The specific charge in the indictment and another court document is “criminal sex act,” and it states that the alleged assault took place at a hotel in lower Manhattan sometime between April 29, 2006, and May 6, 2006.
Weinstein has consistently argued that he has never had any non-consensual sex. Arthur Aidala, the defense lawyer, reaffirmed on Wednesday that his client “never forced himself on anyone.”
According to Aidala, he had “absolutely no clue” as to who the accuser was or the details of the charge.
We have a ton of work ahead of us. We need to identify that individual. Outside of court, he stated, “We need to conduct an investigation.
Wheelchair-bound and bearing two novels, the seventy-two-year-old Weinstein arrived in court. He is still recovering from emergency surgery. He seemed to be observing the proceedings closely.
In 2017, allegations about the once-dominant studio head’s behavior that had long been known in Hollywood were revealed by reporting in The New York Times and The New Yorker, turning him into a #MeToo archvillain.
A far wider reckoning with sexual misconduct was sparked by the outpouring, and the accusations brought about Weinstein’s downfall as a professional, numerous lawsuits, and criminal charges on both coasts of the United States. His conviction for rape and sexual assault in 2020 was a seminal #MeToo moment, and he was later found guilty of rape in Los Angeles in 2022. He received a lengthy prison sentence.
However, this spring, the highest court in the state of New York reversed his 2020 conviction, which was founded on allegations made by two women. The trial judge unjustly permitted testimony based on accusations that were unrelated to the case, according to the high court known as the Court of Appeals. The judge in question is no longer sitting on the bench as his term ended in 2022.
A new trial was ordered by the Court of Appeals; initially slated to begin in November, the trial is now expected to be postponed.
Curtis Farber, the case’s new judge, scheduled a hearing for October 2 to talk about scheduling and make a decision regarding whether or not the new charge will be included in the retrial—a consolidation that the prosecution is pushing but Weinstein’s attorneys are against. Weinstein wants to go to trial as soon as possible, according to Aidala, but his defense team isn’t in a rush to address the new charge.
Weinstein was charged with at least one more sex crime that was not related to the previous case, according to information released by the prosecution last week. However, until his arraignment on Wednesday, the new indictment remained sealed.
According to the prosecution, the grand jury heard testimony regarding up to three alleged assaults that occurred between the middle of the 2000s and 2016 in hotels and a residential building.
According to Aidala, Weinstein was “somewhat relieved” that the new indictment contained just one charge.
Alvin Bragg, the district attorney for Manhattan, stated that the inquiry is ongoing.
The Democrat Bragg said in a statement, “Harvey Weinstein now stands indicted for an additional alleged violent sexual assault thanks to this survivor who bravely came forward.”
Weinstein is still being held in detention pending his retrial in New York.
The 72-year-old underwent emergency surgery on September 9 to remove fluid from his heart and lungs, and he has since been admitted to a Manhattan hospital. According to Aidala, he takes up to 19 different medications for his various medical conditions.
Once regarded as one of the most important figures in the film industry, Weinstein produced movies like “Shakespeare in Love” and “The Crying Game” and co-founded the production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company.