Harvey Weinstein reportedly reaches tentative $25M US settlement with accusers

Harvey Weinstein and the board of his bankrupt film studio have reached a tentative $25 million US settlement with dozens of women who accused the former Hollywood producer of sexual misconduct, the New York Times said on Wednesday, citing lawyers involved in the negotiations.

The accord would end nearly all civil lawsuits by actresses and former Weinstein employees who accused him of offences ranging from sexual harassment to rape, the newspaper said. Weinstein would not be required under the settlement to admit wrongdoing or to pay anything, and insurers for the former Weinstein Co. studio would fund the payout, the newspaper said.

Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct dating back decades by more than 70 women. He has denied the allegations, saying any sexual encounters were consensual.

Accusers involved in the tentative accord would make their claims in bankruptcy court, and the $25 million payout would be part of a $47 million settlement to close out the studio's obligations, the newspaper said, citing six lawyers.

Weinstein's representatives could not immediately be reached for comment; they had declined to comment to the Times.

The litigation is separate from criminal charges that Weinstein faces in New York, where prosecutors have accused him of sexually assaulting two women, one in 2006 and another in 2013.

A trial is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2020, and Weinstein could face life in prison if convicted on the top counts.