Harvey Weinstein faces new sex crime allegations from an accuser who has never gone public

Former film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in court in New York, U.S., Sept. 18, 2024. Photo credit: Jinnah Moon

Seven years later, he was accused of sexual assault and harassment Harvey Weinstein Turbocharging the #MeToo movement, the former movie mogul faces a new sex-crime charge from an accuser who hasn’t told her story publicly.

While awaiting retrial on other sexual charges a The landmark #MeToo caseWeinstein pleaded not guilty Wednesday to new charges that he forced oral sex on a woman at a Manhattan hotel in the spring of 2006.

Prosecutors have not released any details about him, and Weinstein’s lawyer has said he has no idea who he is. But an attorney said he represented the woman and that she had never disclosed her allegations.

The lawyer, Lindsey Goldbram, said in a statement, “She will be fully prepared to tell the truth in a trial to hold Mr. Weinstein accountable before a jury of his peers.” He said the woman did not want to be identified at this time, and the law firm declined to say more about her or her allegations.

According to the complaint and another court document, the alleged assault — the specific charge was a “criminal sexual act” — occurred between April 29, 2006, and May 6 of that year at a lower Manhattan hotel.

Weinstein has long maintained that he never engaged in any non-consensual sexual activity. Defense attorney Arthur Aidala reiterated Wednesday that his client “never forced himself on anyone.”

Aidala said he had “absolutely no clue” about the identity of the accused or the specifics of the allegations.

“We have a lot of work to do. We need to find out who that person is. We have to investigate,” he said outside the court.

Weinstein, 72, who is recovering from emergency surgery, arrived in court in a wheelchair, carrying two novels with him. He appears to be watching the proceedings closely.

The once-powerful studio boss became a #MeToo archvillain in 2017, when reporting by The New York Times and The New Yorker pulled back the curtain on claims about his behavior that had long been known around Hollywood.

The outpouring touched on much larger counts of sexual misconduct, and the allegations led to Weinstein’s professional downfall, multiple lawsuits and criminal charges on both US coasts. his 2020 Convicted of rape and sexual assault The #MeToo moment was a watershed, followed by his 2022 Rape Punishment in Los Angeles. He was sentenced to several decades in prison.

However, the Supreme Court of the State of New York this spring Overturned his 2020 convictionwhich was based on the complaint of two women. The high court, called the Court of Appeals, said the trial judge improperly allowed testimony based on allegations that were not part of the case. That judge’s term expired in 2022 and is no longer on the bench.

The appeals court ordered a new trial, which was due to start in November but may now be delayed.

The new judge in the case, Curtis Farber, has set a hearing for Oct. 2 to schedule a hearing and rule on whether to wrap up the new charges in the retrial, a merger that prosecutors want but Weinstein’s lawyers oppose. Aidala said Weinstein wants to go to trial as soon as possible, but his defense team doesn’t want to rush to work on the new charges.

Prosecutors revealed last week that Weinstein was At least one additional accused Allegations of sexual offenses that were not part of the previous case. But the new charges remained sealed until his sentencing on Wednesday.

Prosecutors said the grand jury heard evidence of up to three alleged attacks at hotels and an apartment building from the mid-2000s to 2016.

Aidala said Weinstein was “somewhat relieved” to find only one allegation in the new indictment.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the investigation is ongoing.

“Thanks to this survivor who bravely came forward, Harvey Weinstein has now been charged with additional alleged violent sexual assault,” Bragg, a Democrat, said in a statement.

Weinstein remains in custody awaiting his New York retrial.

A 72-year-old man underwent emergency surgery Sept. 9 at a Manhattan hospital to drain fluid around his heart and lungs. He takes as many as 19 different medications for his various health ailments, Aidala said.

Once one of the most influential figures in the film business, Weinstein co-founded film and television production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company and produced films such as “Shakespeare in Love” and “The Crying Game.”