Harvey Weinstein sues brother, different film executives over $45 million mortgage; claims they set the stage for his downfall | Hollywood

Harvey Weinstein’s new lawsuit

Harvey Weinstein, 72, filed the claims Thursday in a long-running civil case in New York Metropolis involving a lender accusing him of defaulting on the mortgage. He’s at the moment detained whereas awaiting a retrial on intercourse crimes costs in New York.

“Harvey Weinstein was deceived by these closest to him, and secured a $45 million greenback mortgage beneath the pretense of saving The Weinstein Firm,” Imran Ansari, Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer, mentioned in a press release. “Whereas Harvey personally assured the mortgage, others inside The Weinstein Firm enriched themselves and strategically undermined him, leaving him ‘holding the bag’ of debt whereas ‘lining their pockets’ when the corporate was in disaster.”

Ansari alleged Bob Weinstein and others at The Weinstein Co. 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.

An legal professional for Bob Weinstein, Brian Kohn, replied with a quick assertion Friday saying, “Harvey’s allegations are completely with out benefit,” in an e mail to The Related Press.

Former Weinstein Co. chief working officer David Glasser, now chief govt of 101 Studios, recognized for its manufacturing of Paramount’s in style collection “Yellowstone,” can be named in Harvey Weinstein’s lawsuit. He didn’t instantly return a cellphone message left at his workplace Friday.

AI Worldwide Holdings loaned the cash to 2 associates of The Weinstein Co. and Harvey Weinstein, and later sued when it mentioned they defaulted.

Harvey Weinstein alleges that his brother, Glasser and others duped him into guaranteeing the $45 million mortgage by saying the cash would assist the financially struggling firm. As a substitute, his lawsuit says, they diverted tens of millions of {dollars} from the corporate for improper functions, leaving it brief on money and Harvey Weinstein answerable for repaying the mortgage.

“As a direct results of these actions, the Corporations had been drained of, on the very least, $12 million in money that ought to have been allotted to repay the Mortgage owed to AI Worldwide,” the lawsuit says. “This mismanagement left the Corporations unable to fulfill their monetary obligations, leading to insolvency and putting Weinstein at substantial private monetary danger because the guarantor of the Mortgage.”

The lawsuit, filed within the state Supreme Court docket in Manhattan, says Weinstein was made to undergo “extreme and outrageous monetary and reputational hurt.”

It additionally makes a number of allegations of economic misconduct towards Bob Weinstein, Glasser and others. It accuses Bob Weinstein of withdrawing not less than $6 million from firm accounts beneath false pretenses, to provide himself precedence over collectors together with AI Worldwide.

“It was surprising to find the fraudulent transactions that went on after I left the corporate. I now imagine that various these executives performed a giant half in my demise,” Harvey Weinstein mentioned in a press release supplied by a spokesperson.

The lawsuit alleges Glasser accepted and acquired $5 million in extreme bonuses and unauthorized monetary transactions, and used firm funds to pay his father $1 million regardless of no reliable enterprise cause.

AI Worldwide Holdings sued Harvey Weinstein and the 2 associates of The Weinstein Co. in late 2017. The lawsuit mentioned they defaulted on the mortgage after AI Worldwide had ordered the complete stability to be paid instantly as a result of Harvey Weinstein had been dismissed as co-chairman amid the sexual misconduct allegations.

In accordance with Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein and Glasser settled their legal responsibility for the mortgage with AI Worldwide for about $15 million resulting from “dangerous religion negotiations,” leaving Harvey Weinstein accountable for the remaining $30 million plus curiosity.

Harvey Weinstein’s lawsuit seeks 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 decide to reject subpoenas for paperwork and a deposition issued by Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer.

Harvey Weinstein’s fall from grace

Harvey Weinstein, who additionally co-founded the movie firm Miramax, was as soon as one of the vital highly effective individuals in Hollywood, having produced movies reminiscent of Pulp Fiction and The Crying Sport.

In 2017, he turned essentially the most distinguished villain of the #MeToo motion, which erupted when girls started going public with accounts of his conduct.

He has lengthy maintained that any sexual exercise was consensual.

Harvey Weinstein is being retried on costs that he forcibly carried out oral intercourse on a film and TV manufacturing assistant in 2006 and raped an aspiring actor in 2013. One other cost filed in September alleges he compelled oral intercourse on a unique lady at a Manhattan lodge in 2006.

His 2020 conviction and 23-year jail sentence had been overturned final yr, as an appeals courtroom discovered the trial decide unfairly allowed testimony towards Weinstein primarily based on allegations that weren’t a part of the case.