The astonishing downfall of Harvey Weinstein continued this week with still more allegations of appalling sexual misconduct from the producer who was once considered one of the most powerful men in Hollywood.
The unraveling of Weinstein’s lifetime of lies began with a New York Times exposé detailing decades of sexual assault and harassment allegations.
Once the floodgates were open, dozens more accusations followed.
Actress Asia Argento claimed she was raped by Weinstein when she was just 21 years old.
Shortly thereafter, Rose McGowan stated that she too was raped by Weinstein early in her career.
Weinstein’s accusers now number in the dozens, and there’s no telling how many have yet to come forward.
As with the case of Bill Cosby, the public call for a criminal investigation quickly became deafening, and now it appears that multiple law enforcement outfits are now attempting to determine if Weinstein can be prosecuted.
The Los Angeles Times is reporting today that the LAPD has launched an investigation following a Thursday morning meeting with an Italian model-actress who claims she was assaulted by Weinstein.
There are now six active criminal cases against Weinstein, with New York police investigating two different allegations, and London officials gather information from three Weinstein accusers.
The Los Angeles case could prove especially troubling for Weinstein, as the accusation falls within the 10-year statute of limitations, thus making the 65-year-old liable for prosecution.
Defense attorney and former LA County sex crimes prosecutor Dmitry Gorin told The Times that the latest charge against Weinstein could “open the door to a prosecution if the evidence exists.”
Weinstein has yet to respond to this most recent allegation.
Speaking with the press today, Weinstein’s rep Salle Hofmeister stated, “I can’t respond to some anonymous complaint.”
The accuser, a 38-year-old woman who has asked not to be identified in order to ensure her children’s safety, offered a detailed and harrowing account of Weinstein’s attack:
“He … bullied his way into my hotel room, saying, ‘I’m not going to [have sex with] you, I just want to talk,’” the woman told The Times.
“Once inside, he asked me questions about myself, but soon became very aggressive and demanding and kept asking to see me naked.”
She added:
“He grabbed me by the hair and forced me to do something I did not want to do,” she said. “He then dragged me to the bathroom and forcibly raped me.”
We will have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.