The Weinstein Company has cancelled all non-disclosure agreements made between Harvey Weinstein and a number of women who had accused him of sexual misconduct, following news that the company had filed for bankruptcy as of Monday night.
The company, which booted Weinstein in October last year, said that the move would help the victims find justice:
Today, the Company also takes an important step toward justice for any victims who have been silenced by Harvey Weinstein. Since October, it has been reported that Harvey Weinstein used non-disclosure agreements as a secret weapon to silence his accusers. Effective immediately, those ‘agreements’ end.
No one should be afraid to speak out or coerced to stay quiet. The Company thanks the courageous individuals who have already come forward. Your voices have inspired a movement for change across the country and around the world.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who is leading a civil rights suit against Weinstein, called the move a “watershed moment” in a statement:
The Weinstein Company’s agreement to release victims of and witnesses to sexual misconduct from non-disclosure agreements — which my office has sought throughout this investigation and litigation — will finally enable voices that have for too long been muzzled to be heard.
According to the New York Times, actress Rose McGowan reached a $100,000 settlement with Weinstein in 1997, which legal documents said was “not to be construed as an admission” but was done to “avoid litigation and buy peace“.
