Hollywood film mogul Harvey-Weinstein will take a leave of absence from work following explosive allegations that he’s been the target of string of sexual harassment complaints dating back three decades.<br /><br />High profile reported victims<br /><br />Amongst the reported victims, actress and singer Ashley Judd. The producer allegedly asked her to give him a massage or watch him shower when she visited him in his hotel suite.<br /><br />New York Times<br /><br />It was the New York Times that broke the story.<br /><br />Weinstein initially made a statement apologising for his behaviour but has since threatened to sue for defamation, claiming the report was faulty and relied on hearsay.<br /><br />“My journey now will be to learn about myself and conquer my demons.” Harvey Weinstein has addressed accusations: https://t.co/wJAx4v8tNT pic.twitter.com/pIyKqvnUG3— IndieWire (@IndieWire) October 6, 2017<br /><br />The paper claims the 65-year old had reached eight previously undisclosed settlements with women alleging sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact.<br /><br />LOS ANGELES, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Oscar-winning movie producer<br />Harvey Weinstein on Thursday threatened to sue the New York<br />Times after it reported that he had been the target of sexual<br />harassment complaints.<br />After an initial statement in which Weinstein apologized for<br />his behavior, his attorney Charles J. Harder subsequently put<br />out a statement saying the newspaper’s story was defamatory<br />because it relied on “mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty<br />report.â€<br />The New York Times reported that Weinstein, 65, had reached<br />eight previously undisclosed settlements with women who made<br />allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact.<br />New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said the<br />newspaper was confident about its reporting, adding that<br />Weinstein “was aware and able to respond to specific allegations<br />in our story before publication.”<br />The alleged victims included an actress, a model and two<br />assistants and their allegations spanned almost 30 years, the<br />newspaper reported.<br />Reuters has not independently confirmed the New York Times<br />report. Weinstein has not been charged with any crimes.<br />“I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the<br />past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it.<br />Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go,”<br />Weinstein said in his initial statement to the New York Times<br />that was also given to Reuters by his lawyers.<br />“I’ve brought on therapists and I plan to take a leave of<br />absence from my company and to deal with this issue head on,”<br />said Weinstein, whose Oscar-winning films include “Shakespeare<br />in Love” and “Chicago.”<br />One of the women interviewed by the New York Times was<br />“Double Jeopardy” actress and singer Ashley Judd.<br />The report quoted Judd as saying that two decades ago she<br />had a meeting with Weinstein in his Beverly Hills hotel room<br />where he asked if he could give her a massage or if she could<br />watch him shower.<br />Judd’s representatives did not immediately return requests<br />from Reuters for comment.<br />Weinstein and his brother Bob formed independent movie<br />studio Miramax in 1979. They later sold it and in 2005 set up<br />The Weinstein Company.<br />Weinstein, who is married to Marchesa label fashion designer<br />Georgina Chapman, is the latest U.S. media titan to be accused<br />of sexual harassment.<br />The late Fox News chief Roger Ailes was forced out of the<br />company in July 2016 after being accused of sexual harassment,<br />which he denied.<br />(Reporting by Jill Serjeant and Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Toni<br />Reinhold)<br />
