(JTA) — Harvey Weinstein and his former studio’s board members have reached a tentative settlement deal for $44 million with women who accuse him of sexual misconduct, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The disgraced film producer, who is Jewish, has denied sexually harassing or abusing over 75 women.
He will stand trial in New York in June on criminal charges brought by two women, including rape.
Adam Harris, a lawyer for the studio co-founder Bob Weinstein told a judge that “an economic agreement in principle” had been reached, the Associated Press news agency reported Friday.
Weinstein’s team later told the Wall Street Journal that the size of the settlement would be approximately $44 million.
The 67-year-old is one of Hollywood’s most famous producers and has worked on a number of award-winning films, including Shakespeare in Love, The King’s Speech and The Artist.
In 2005, he split from Miramax and founded Weinstein Co, alongside his brother Bob.
In 2017, Quartz reported that Weinstein had become so powerful in Hollywood that he had been thanked as many times as God in Oscar acceptance speeches, the BBC noted.
In October 2017, the New York Times published a story detailing decades of allegations of sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein. It triggered the #metoo movement against sexual harassment.
Actresses Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd were among the first women to come forward.
The film producer issued an apology acknowledging he had “caused a lot of pain” – but denied allegations that he harassed female employees over nearly three decades.
