Harvey Weinstein Resigns From Weinstein Company Board

The departure leaves Bob Weinstein and David Glasser at the helm of the company.

In this 8 January 2017 file photo, Harvey Weinstein arrives at The Weinstein Company and Netflix Golden Globes afterparty at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

(Photo: AP)

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has resigned from the Weinstein Company board of directors, as his company tries to distance itself from the disgraced mogul.

Weinstein was fired as co-chairman on 8 October, but he continues to own 22 percent of the company's stock, and until today continued holding a seat on the board, reported Variety.

In a statement, the three member board confirmed that Weinstein had stepped down and said it had "... ratified its decision to terminate" his employment.

The company now risks falling into a protracted legal battle with Weinstein, who alleges his firing was illegal. 

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The departure leaves Weinstein's brother Bob, a co-chairman, and chief operating officer David Glasser, at the helm of the company.

The board of directors made the decision "in light of new information about misconduct by Harvey Weinstein that has emerged in the past few days," the company said in an emailed statement, adding that he had been notified.

The company said on Friday that Weinstein, 65, was taking an indefinite leave of absence after the New York Times reported that he had made eight settlements with women who had accused him of unwanted physical contact and sexual harassment over three decades.

Weinstein was a prominent donor to Democrats during the 2016 general election campaign. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and several Democratic politicians including Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Chuck Schumer said Friday they will re-route Weinstein's political donations to women's rights groups.

The DNC will donate over $30,000 in contributions from Weinstein to EMILY’s List, Emerge America and Higher Heights, because what we need is more women in power.

Xochitl Hinojosa, Director, DNC Communications 

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US President Donald Trump, whose presidential campaign was jolted a year ago by the release of a recording in which he boasted about groping women, said on Saturday he was not surprised by sexual harassment allegations against Weinstein.

One of the women interviewed by the New York Times was "Double Jeopardy" actress and singer Ashley Judd.

The report quoted Judd as saying that two decades ago she had a meeting with Weinstein in his Beverly Hills hotel room where he asked if he could give her a massage or if she could watch him shower.

This combination photo shows actors, Rose McGowan at a premiere in Los Angeles on 15 April 2015, left, and Ashley Judd in Beverly Hills, California on 25 July 2017, both of whom were allegedly harassed by Weinstein.(Photo: AP)

The alleged victims included an actress, a model and two assistants and their allegations spanned almost 30 years, the newspaper reported.

Also Read: Hollywood Actress Ashley Judd: I Was Raped Twice When I Was 14

After an initial statement on Thursday, 5 October, in which Weinstein apologised for his behavior, his attorney Charles J Harder subsequently put out a statement saying the newspaper's story was defamatory because it relied on “mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty report.”

In his initial statement, Weinstein said:

I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go.... I’ve brought on therapists and I plan to take a leave of absence from my company and to deal with this issue head on.

His lawyer later threatened to sue the New York Times.

Weinstein has produced or distributed Oscar-winning movies including "Shakespeare in Love" and "Chicago."

The company also said it was conducting its own internal investigation.

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