Harvey Weinstein hit with 6 new assault charges in LA case
Harvey Weinstein in NYC Criminal Court in February Image by Getty/Scott Heins/Stringer
By PJ Grisar October 2, 2020
Harvey Weinstein was charged with six new counts of sexual assault on Friday following a Beverly Hills police investigation that concluded last month.
The charges arise from accusations made by two women. One accused Weinstein of raping her at a hotel between September 2004 and 2005; the other claimed the producer raped her twice, in November 2009 and November 2010, also at a Beverly Hills hotel, Variety reported.
While Weinstein is currently serving out a 23-year sentence in New York, following his high profile trial in the state in February, allegations against the film mogul have continued to emerge in Los Angeles. With the new charges, added to previous ones from January and April, Weinstein now faces 11 counts of sexual assaults from five alleged victims and could face up to 140 years to life if convicted on all charges, the prosecutors’ office told Variety.
“I am thankful to the first women who reported these crimes and whose courage have given strength to others to come forward,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement. “The willingness of these latest victims to testify against a powerful man gives us the additional evidence we need to build a compelling criminal case.”
“Harvey Weinstein has always maintained that every one of his physical encounters throughout his entire life have been consensual,” Weinstein’s spokesman, Juda Engelmayer told Variety. “That hasn’t changed.”
Weinstein has an extradition hearing scheduled for December 11, which would relocate him to a Los Angeles County jail for the duration of his California trial. The hearing has been delayed by the pandemic. Weinstein tested positive for coronavirus in March.
In total, Weinstein has been accused of sexual assault or misconduct by over 100 women.
PJ Grisar is the Forward’s culture reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
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