Former Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty to a new sexual assault charge in a New York court on Sept. 18.
Weinstein’s defense attorney, Arthur Aidala from law firm Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, said in a statement read outside the court that his client “never forced himself on anyone.”
Aidala said his law firm has yet to learn the identity of the accuser or the specifics of the allegation.
Bragg said the charge is one count of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, and the investigation is still ongoing.
Lindsay Goldbrum, a lawyer representing the woman, said in a statement that her client doesn’t want to be identified for now but is “fully prepared to speak her truth at trial.”
In addition to the new charge, Weinstein is also facing two other criminal counts in a separate indictment, with charges including commission of a first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. He has pleaded not guilty to those accusations and claims to be innocent of any wrongdoing, maintaining that he never engaged in any sexual activity that wasn’t consensual.
Weinstein was first convicted in 2020 in a New York court of committing a first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
In April, while serving his sentence in a New York prison, the New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s conviction in a 4–3 decision. The appeals court decision said Weinstein didn’t receive a fair trial because the judge allowed testimony from women about allegations that he was not charged with.
Weinstein remains imprisoned for a 2022 rape conviction in California. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison a year later.
He underwent emergency surgery on Sept. 9 to drain fluid around his heart and lungs, which delayed the current indictment.
Prior to his convictions, Weinstein was once one of the most influential people in Hollywood. He cofounded the film and television production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company, which produced dozens of highly acclaimed films, and worked with numerous A-list actors.
His film studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018, soon after the original accusations of sexual misconduct were leveled at Weinstein.
