There was a time when Harvey Weinstein was regarded as one of the most renowned film producers in Hollywood. But what's more challenging than making a name is maintaining it, nurturing it. And, in that front, Harvey Weinstein couldn't succeed.
The fame - which he had gathered from producing several commercially and critically acclaimed movies like Kill Bill: Volume 1, Good Will Hunting, Scream, and more - turned to ashes once he was accused of sexual misconduct with several women.
Today, Harvey is looking to make a settlement with his accusers and get away with the little bit of dignity he has left, but the money he is offering is too less for the ladies.
Let's take a look at his sexual harassment case along with other aspects of Harvey's life, including his net worth, movies, TV shows, and so on.
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Harvey Weinstein Sentenced To Serve 23 Years In Prison
Harvey Weinstein, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women, was announced to serve 23 years in prison on 11 May 2020.
After two of his accusers, Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann delivered a powerful speech in the court; Judge James Burke announced the imprisonment of Harvey Weinstein.
He will be held at Rikers Island and will be transferred to the custody where he will be spending the rest of his life behind bars.
Harvey Weinstein Was Found Guilty Of Sexual Assaults
On 24 February 2020, the jury announced that one of the most prominent film producers of Hollywood was found guilty of two felony sex crimes that he did in his past years.
Here, the Manhattan trial appears to have influenced by the #MeToo movement, founded by Tarana Burke, a writer and activist. The court settled the two serious rape allegations stating Mr. Weinstein's guilt, which includes the case of Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann.
As per the accusations of Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann, Harvey forced oral sex on Haley in 2006 and raped Mann in 2013. Responding to the legal acts, the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance released a statement:
"This is the new landscape for survivors of sexual assault in America, I believe, and this is a new day. It is a new day because Harvey Weinstein has finally been held accountable for crimes he committed."
The court document suggests that Harvey Weinstein was charged with two felony counts, criminal sexual assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree.
Harvey Weinstein leaving the courtroom after hearing (©: nytimes.com)
The jury ordered the immediate move of Harvey to jail to await his sentencing. He was handcuffed and removed from the courtroom afterward.
Harvey Rushed To Hospital After Hearing
As soon as Harvey Weinstein got handcuffed and removed from the courtroom, he left the site in an ambulance to move to an infirmary on Rikers Island. However, he was taken to the Bellevue Hospital Center first because of his chest pains and showing signs of high blood pressure.
The lead defense lawyer, Donna Rotunno, mentioned that Harvey was fine, but he refused to elaborate on his conditions.
Harvey's Trial Began In January 2020; Victims Not Satisfied With The Settlement Offer
Harvey Weinstein's sexual abuse trial - that consists of a predatory sexual assault, a third-degree rape, and a first-degree rape - started on 6 January 2020. But, it seemed most women - excluding one - had already declared him guilty of the crimes.
The only female on Harvey's side was his lawyer Donna Rotunno - who is best known and, at the same time, infamous for defending men accused of sexual assault.
The charges against the film producer surfaced in October 2017 when two leading news portals: The New Yorker and The New York Times reported on the story. The reports suggested that over 80 women had accused Harvey of sexual abuse.
At the time, Harvey released a statement asking forgiveness from all the women, but the apology was not enough to convince them of his changed personality.
(Note: You can read the full statement here.)
Later, some Hollywood A-Listers, including the likes of Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd, Angelina Jolie, and Gwyneth Paltrow, also came forward to accuse the industry veteran. However, the actresses are not involved with the ongoing case. Further, a documentary based on Harvey's life - titled Untouchable: The Rise and Fall of Harvey Weinstein - was released in 2019, which gave an opportunity for the viewers to receive first-hand information from the accusers on the case.
The case focused on the allegations made by two women in the past. One of the two claimed that Harvey had raped in 2013 while at a hotel room in New York. Similarly, the other alleged victim accused him of performing non-consensual oral in 2006.
Harvey Weinstein and attorney Donna Rotunno exit a court hearing in 2019 (©: dailymail.co.uk)
While Harvey didn't deny having intercourse with the accusers, he did maintain that he never forced himself upon anyone. His attorney Donna further clarified her client's nature.
"There's a difference between sins and crimes. You may think that you don't like the way Harvey conducted himself at times or choices that he's made, but that doesn't mean he's a rapist."
Harvey was also looking to settle with his accusers, but looking at his settlement offer, it appeared that the ladies were not happy with the amount.
Settlement Party Rejects Harvey's $25 Million Settlement Offer
After due consideration, Harvey's team reached the decision to pay $25 million to the plaintiffs. However, the accusing party is not ready to settle on the amount as they claim it is too low for all the harassments they had experienced.
One of the prosecuting lawyer Thomas Giuffra considered the amount as "lousy." Similarly, another lawyer Douglas Wigdor called the offer as the "worst settlement offer in his career." Wigdor stated:
“This is the worst settlement I’ve seen in my entire career. It’s a complete disaster. It leaves very little to the victims."
The amount which the defense team is offering will not come from Harvey's side, but instead will be paid by the parent company, The Weinstein Company's insurance companies. So, Harvey will not be at a loss.
However, without all of the plaintiffs' agreeing to make the deal, the case will not settle. While the accusers could be looking to lighten the defendant's pockets further, a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.
How Much Is Harvey Weinstein's Net Worth?; Movies And TV Shows
Despite the multiple sexual allegations against Harvey, he can be considered one of the most successful film producers in the history of Hollywood.
With a career extending over three decades, he has fulfilled the job of producing several successful movies and TV shows, including Django Unchained (2012), Southpaw (2015), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Piranha 3D (2010), Sin City (2005), Project Runway (2004-2017), Doctor Thorne (2016), and more.
With a career consisting of several multi-million dollar grossing movies, Harvey's net worth - at one point - was valued at a massive $300 million. However, with his degrading reputation and health, his net worth in 2020 has plummeted to a mere $25 million.
Sold Houses To Pay For Divorce Settlement?
When Harvey was at the peak of his career, he had made good use of his earnings and invested millions of dollars in real estate. He owned multiple properties in several locations.
However, after his divorce from ex-wife Georgina Chapman, he had to sell some of his properties - probably to pay off the divorce settlement amount.
Know More About: Harvey Weinstein's Ex-Wife Georgina Chapman's Fling With Adrien Brody
In a span of three months in 2018, he sold three of his homes - which were located in New York, The Hamptons, and New York. The worth of the three houses combined was $51.6 million. However, Harvey reportedly sold the homes, making a loss.