New allegations of sexual misconduct have surfaced against media tycoon Harvey Weinstein, seven years after he became the central figure in the #MeToo movement. Weinstein, the disgraced former head of Miramax, who is still awaiting retrial on the landmark #MeToo cases, pleaded not guilty yesterday to a new charge of forcing oral sex on a woman in a Manhattan hotel in spring 2006. Prosecutors have not disclosed any details about the new accuser, and Weinstein’s lawyer has denied that the mogul has any knowledge of her. The unnamed woman’s lawyer, Lindsay Goldbrum, stated: “She will be fully prepared to speak her truth at trial to hold Mr. Weinstein accountable before a jury of his peers.” The woman has chosen not to be identified for now, and her law firm declined to provide further details about her or her accusation.
According to the indictment and another court document, the alleged assault—specifically charged as a “criminal sex act”—occurred at a lower Manhattan hotel between April 29 and May 6, 2006. Weinstein has consistently maintained that he never engaged in any non-consensual sexual activity. Defense attorney Arthur Aidala reiterated on Wednesday that his client “never forced himself on anyone.” Aidala said he had “absolutely no clue” about the accuser’s identity or the specifics of the allegation. The 72-year-old Weinstein, who is recovering from emergency surgery, arrived at court in a wheelchair, carrying two novels with him. He appeared to watch the proceedings intently.
In 2017, Weinstein became the focal point of the #MeToo movement when articles in the New Yorker and New York Times reported on accusations of sexual assault against him and the Hollywood industry’s broader complicity. These allegations led to multiple lawsuits and criminal convictions for rape and sexual assault in 2020 and 2022 in Los Angeles. After being sentenced to decades in prison, a New York high court overturned his 2020 conviction. The Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge allowed testimony based on allegations that were not part of the case. Consequently, Weinstein faces a new trial, initially set for November but likely to be delayed. New judge Curtis Farber scheduled a hearing for October 2 to discuss scheduling and whether the new charge should be included in the retrial. Aidala stated that Weinstein wants to go to trial as soon as possible, but his defense team does not want to rush its work on addressing the new charge.
Prosecutors revealed last week that Weinstein had been indicted on at least one additional sex crime charge that was not part of the earlier case. However, the new indictment was sealed until his arraignment on Wednesday. Prosecutors had indicated that the grand jury heard evidence of up to three alleged assaults, in hotels and a residential building, from the mid-2000s to 2016. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stated that the investigation continues. “Thanks to this survivor who bravely came forward, Harvey Weinstein now stands indicted for an additional alleged violent sexual assault,” Bragg, a Democrat, said in a statement. Weinstein remains in custody while awaiting his New York retrial. The mogul has been at a Manhattan hospital following emergency surgery on September 9 to drain fluid around his heart and lungs. He takes as many as 19 different medications for his various health ailments, Aidala said.
