A federal bankruptcy judge approved on Monday a settlement plan with the bankrupt Weinstein Company that will create a $17.1 million fund for Harvey Weinstein’s victims.
“This bankruptcy plan guarantees that Harvey Weinstein’s survivors will have the opportunity to be heard in a safe and confidential process,” Beth Fegan, a lead attorney representing some of the claimants, told TheWrap in a statement. “Although there will never be enough compensation or redress to right these wrongs, we’re immeasurably honored to represent our brave and resilient clients who, in the face of adverse rulings, continued to advocate for a fund for all survivors. This plan truly leverages the voices of survivors, and as evidenced by the majority support of the settlement, we’re heartened to have reached a solution that empowers each woman to do what is right for her.”
The victims’ fund will be divided among more than 50 claimants and will resolve most of the sexual assault and harassment claims against the former producer, who is currently serving out a 23-year prison sentence in New York and faces another criminal trial in Los Angeles.
The $17.1 million fund is part of a larger $35.2 million bankruptcy plan, to be paid out by insurers, designed to close out The Weinstein Company’s outstanding obligations.
The approval comes after a years-long process; earlier versions of the settlement would have created an $18.9 million victims’ fund that allowed women from both the TWC and Miramax eras to make claims, as well as a $5.4 million settlement for 14 individual victims. That proposed settlement was rejected last July by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
