Harvey Weinstein is breaking his silence… but not for the reasons you might think.
In a recent interview with the New York Post, the disgraced producer didn’t comment on the accusations made against him or his upcoming trial, which is set to begin next month.
Instead, he spoke to the publication about his decades-long career and his overall impact on Hollywood, especially for women.
“I feel like the forgotten man,” the 67-year-old told the outlet at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center on Friday. “I made more movies directed by women and about women than any filmmaker, and I’m talking about 30 years ago. I’m not talking about now when it’s vogue. I did it first! I pioneered it!”
“It all got eviscerated because of what happened,” he shared, without specifically addressing the allegations made against him. “My work has been forgotten.”
For a refresher, back in 2017, the 67-year-old was accused of nearly 30 years of sexual harassment and assault by dozens of women. However, he’s continued to deny these claims.
This marks his first interview in over a year.
Weinstein told the outlet that he only agreed to speak with them to solely “prove” that he hasn’t been fabricating his body aches, which he said is due to a back injury he got from a car accident in August.
On Wednesday, he was seen using a walker at his hearing, for his criminal sexual assault case, in a New York City courtroom.
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After his court appearance, The New York Times reported (citing lawyers involved in the negotiations) that a tentative deal had been made between Weinstein, his former film company, The Weinstein Company, and his accusers.
Weinstein’s tentative $25 million settlement agreement is with “dozens of his alleged sexual misconduct victims,” according to the report.
The deal entails that the disgraced producer wouldn’t have to admit wrong-doing or pay the money himself. Instead, it would be paid by insurance companies that represent The Weinstein Company (they filed for bankruptcy in 2018).
At this time, the settlement still awaits the final sign-off and court approval, however, it’s reportedly received “preliminary approval.”
Additionally, according to the NYT report: “Eighteen of the alleged victims would split $6.2 million, with no individual getting more than $500,000. A separate pot of money, $18.5 million, would be set aside for those who were part of a class-action case, the New York attorney general’s suit and any future claimants, with a court-appointed monitor allocating payments based on the severity of the harm alleged.”
In response to Weinstein’s settlement, the Time’s Up Foundation issued a statement over the news.
“This settlement is more than a math problem—it’s a symptom of a problematic, broken system that privileges powerful abusers at the expense of survivors,” Rebecca Goldman, Chief Operating Officer of TIME’S UP Foundation, said on Wednesday.
“While this settlement is flawed, we know it represents the hard work of several survivors of Harvey Weinstein,” she continued. “We hope it brings them, and perhaps others, some small measure of justice and relief that is long overdue.”
Many will recall that Time’s Up was created in October 2017, shortly after several women went public with their accusations against the disgraced star. The #MeToo Movement also began soon after Weinstein’s accusers brought their alleged experiences to light.
More recently, Time’s Up launched a petition to “show survivors that millions are behind them.”
“Today and every day, TIME’S UP is in solidarity with the more than 80 survivors who bravely spoke out against Weinstein, catalyzing a worldwide reckoning for justice,” Goldman said in the statement. “With them, we will continue to fight until sexual harassment and assault at work are gone for good.”
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