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Harvey Weinstein one year on: Producer ‘silent and grinning’ as he awaits sexual assault trial

Mr Weinstein refused to answer questions posed by Sky News, who recently found him in New York

Clark Mindock
New York
Friday 05 October 2018 17:02 EDT
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Video revealed of Harvey Weinstein behaving inappropirately with businesswoman Melissa Thompson in meeting from 2011, hours before he raped her

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One year after women began coming forward with their allegations against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein, the man who once wielded significant power in the industry is staying quiet about the dozens of claims that he used his position of prominence to sexually harass and abuse women.

Mr Weinstein was spotted on Thursday in Manhattan by reporters for Sky News, who said that they approached the man through his security detail and asked him some questions.

They asked: Are his accusers lying? Is he ashamed? Did he have anything to say to the women who began coming forward with their accusations one year ago?

Mr Weinstein appears to stay silent on each account. Then, grinning, he thanked the questioner before getting into a black SUV and driving away.

It has been one year since The New York Times and the New Yorker published their bombshell stories detailing accusations against Mr Weinstein, shocking the nation and leading to an international movement that has reshaped American politics and culture by seeking to put a focus on the violence and misogyny that women face in their everyday lives.

Mr Weinstein now faces criminal charges in New York for “rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women”, and probes have been opened by police in both Los Angeles and London as well.

In May, Mr Weinstein’s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told the media that his client intends to plead not guilty to the charges.

(Sky News
(Sky News (Sky News)
Mr Weinstein has been accused by more than 70 women of sexual misconduct. He has denied all accounts
Mr Weinstein has been accused by more than 70 women of sexual misconduct. He has denied all accounts (Sky News)
(Sky News
(Sky News (Sky News)

All told, more than 70 women have accused Mr Weinstein of sexual assault, harassment, or misconduct since the story first broke — and those allegations sparked a global reckoning that has led to the ouster of many powerful men across many facets of life including the entertainment industry, politics, and news media industry.

In addition to his lawyer saying Mr Weinstein plans on pleading not guilty, Mr Weinstein has denied all of the accusations that have been made so far

The global MeToo movement has led to a politically motivated and powerful effort by women especially to push for justice and equality in the work place. Women have declared their candidacies for public office in America at a record rate this year ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

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