Harvey Weinstein may be serving jail time, but his case certainly isn't closed yet. A group of women who sued Weinstein for sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and rape have reached a settlement of $18.875 million with Weinstein, The Weinstein Company Holdings, and other affiliates of TWC, according to Deadline.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York approved the settlement in its preliminary stage on Tuesday evening. If passed, the settlement will allow victims to file a claim for damages they suffered under certain circumstances.
The lawsuit has been in the works since November 2017. Said laywer Elizabeth Fegan of FeganScott, "This settlement is the culmination of several years of hard work by survivors who not only initiated the #MeToo movement around Weinstein, but also used their platforms to seek justice for all of those who were afraid to come forward for fear of retaliation in Hollywood."
That fear is definitely real, which is why the new settlement would make the process for filing a claim confidential. Each Settlement Class Member would be able to submit their personal experiences with Weinstein along with the damages suffered. In some cases, documentation and/or an interview would be in order.
While those involved in this particular settlement see the action as a "victory" for women in Hollywood, there are others who see it as a misstep. Six other alleged Weinstein survivors are pressing separate legal charges, represented by attorneys Douglas Wigdor and Kevin Mintzer. In Wigdor and Mintzer's opinion, the settlement is a "complete sellout of the Weinstein survivors." They argue that the agreement as it stands now allows Weinstein to accept no responsibility for is actions.
And on top of that, Weinstein isn't paying any money toward the settlement himself. One of the women, Tarale Wulff, said her team would be "vigorously objecting in court."
As the details get ironed out, action is being taken, and although these victims will never be able to forget their experiences, they will be able to reclaim a piece of what they lost at the hands of the Hollywood mogul.
In late March, Weinstein tested positive for COVID-19 in prison. The disgraced producer is still facing felony sex charges in Los Angeles.