Former film producer Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty on Wednesday July 21 in Los Angeles court to eleven charges of sexual assault and rape of five women in California. Judge Sergio Tapia recorded the statement after a lawyer spoke on behalf of the accused, present in the courtroom in a wheelchair and wearing a brown jumpsuit.
Harvey Weinstein – whose fall is seen as a major victory for the #metoo movement – has been serving a twenty-three-year prison sentence for sexual assault and rape in New York since 2020. He was transferred Tuesday to Los Angeles, a city where he once had a great influence, to answer the new charges.
One hundred and forty years in prison incurred
In California, Harvey Weinstein is notably accused of having raped a female Italian model in a Beverly Hills hotel in February 2013, then of sexually assaulting Lauren Young, an aspiring actress, in the bathroom of another hotel. . He faces up to one hundred and forty years in prison, in addition to his New York conviction. “Anyone who abuses their power and influence to attack others will be brought to justice”, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said.
For his part, Mr. Weinstein has always denied the facts, in New York as in Los Angeles, affirming that his accusers were consenting. In early April, he formally appealed his conviction for rape and sexual assault in New York, handed down in March 2020 after a resounding trial.
In total, nearly 90 women have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 29.