Harvey Weinstein is suing his brother and different executives at their former movie firm, The Weinstein Firm.
The disgraced producer filed a lawsuit on Thursday, alleging his sibling Bob Weinstein, and others from the enterprise duped him into guaranteeing a $45m mortgage in 2016, however diverted funds for their very own private use.
The 72-year-old, who was as soon as some of the highly effective males in Hollywood, is at present in jail at New York Metropolis’s Rikers Island jail complicated, whereas awaiting a retrial on intercourse crimes costs within the metropolis.
Weinstein’s claims come as a part of a long-running civil case involving a lender accusing him of defaulting on the mortgage.
His lawyer, Imran Ansari, stated in an announcement: “Harvey Weinstein was deceived by those closest to him and secured a $45m (£35.8m) dollar loan under the pretence of saving The Weinstein Company”.
He went on: “While Harvey personally guaranteed the loan, others within The Weinstein Company enriched themselves and strategically undermined him, leaving him ‘holding the bag’ of debt while ‘lining their pockets’ when the company was in crisis.”
Ansari alleges Bob Weinstein, 70, and others at The Weinstein Firm had been in on a plot to place Harvey Weinstein for a downfall in an try and seize management of the corporate, which went bankrupt in 2018 because the sexual misconduct scandal surrounding Harvey Weinstein exploded.
In 2017, Weinstein turned probably the most high-profile villain of the #MeToo Motion, after quite a few girls got here ahead accusing him of sexual assault. He has all the time maintained any sexual exercise he was concerned in was consensual.
A lawyer for Bob Weinstein, Brian Kohn, stated on Friday that “Harvey’s allegations are entirely without merit”.
Former Weinstein Firm chief working officer David Glasser, now chief govt of 101 Studios, recognized for its manufacturing of hit Paramount collection Yellowstone, can be named in Harvey Weinstein’s lawsuit. He’s but to answer requests for remark.
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Weinstein at a listening to forward of his retrial at State Supreme Court docket in New York. Pic: Timothy A Clary/Pool photograph through AP
AI Worldwide Holdings loaned the cash to 2 associates of The Weinstein Firm and Harvey Weinstein, and later sued when it stated they defaulted.
Weinstein alleges that his brother, Glasser and others duped him into guaranteeing the mortgage by saying the cash would assist the financially struggling firm. As an alternative, his lawsuit says, they diverted tens of millions of {dollars} from the corporate for improper functions, leaving it brief on money and him responsible for repaying the mortgage.
“As a direct result of these actions, the companies were drained of, at the very least, $12m (£9.5m) in cash that should have been allocated to repay the loan owed to AI International,” the lawsuit says.
“This mismanagement left the companies unable to satisfy their financial obligations, resulting in insolvency and placing Weinstein at substantial personal financial risk as the guarantor of the loan.”
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David Glasser. Pic: AP
The lawsuit, filed within the state Supreme Court docket in Manhattan, says Weinstein was made to undergo “severe and outrageous financial and reputational harm”.
It additionally makes a number of allegations of monetary misconduct in opposition to Bob Weinstein, Glasser and others.
AI Worldwide Holdings sued Harvey Weinstein and the 2 associates of The Weinstein Firm in late 2017. The lawsuit stated they defaulted on the mortgage after AI Worldwide had ordered the complete steadiness to be paid instantly as a result of Harvey Weinstein had been dismissed as co-chairman amid the sexual misconduct allegations.
In keeping with Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein and Glasser settled their legal responsibility for the mortgage with AI Worldwide for about $15m (£12m) as a result of “bad faith negotiations,” leaving Harvey Weinstein answerable for the remaining $30m (£24m) plus curiosity.
Harvey Weinstein’s lawsuit is in search of to protect him from any monetary legal responsibility for the mortgage, in addition to punitive damages for alleged fraud and monetary misconduct and his authorized charges.
Bob Weinstein just lately requested the choose to reject subpoenas for paperwork and a deposition issued by Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer.
Harvey Weinstein was additionally co-founder of movie and tv manufacturing firm Miramax, which produced movies together with the Oscar-winning Shakespeare In Love, Pulp Fiction, and The Crying Sport.
His profitable profession got here to a swift finish after costs had been introduced in opposition to him following a number of allegations in 2017.
He’s at present being retried on costs that he forcibly carried out a intercourse act on a film and TV manufacturing assistant in 2006 and raped an aspiring actor in 2013. One other cost filed in September alleges he carried out a intercourse act on a distinct girl at a Manhattan lodge in 2006.
Weinstein – who has power myeloid leukaemia, diabetes and coronary heart issues – has urged the choose to listen to his retrial as quickly as potential, insisting: “I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.”
Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction and 23-year jail sentence had been overturned final 12 months, when an appeals court docket discovered the trial choose unfairly allowed testimony in opposition to him primarily based on allegations that weren’t a part of the case.
