Manhattan prosecutors will charge Weinstein with first- and third-degree rape in one case and first-degree sex act in a second case, the source said.Weinstein's New York-based attorney, Benjamin Brafman, on Thursday declined to comment on whether his client would turn himself in.The disgraced Hollywood producer is also under investigation for alleged sex crimes in Los Angeles and London. Federal prosecutors in New York have started a sex-crimes investigation involving Weinstein, according to the Wall Street Journal.The charges follow a flood of accusations against Weinsten that led women around the world to come forward with accounts of being sexually harassed by powerful men. Weinstein's accusers welcomed the news as a sign that the tables were finally turning — not only on him but on other accused predators. "I, and so many of Harvey Weinstein's survivors, had given up hope that our rapist would be held accountable by law. Twenty years ago, I swore that I would right this wrong. Today we are one step closer to justice," said actress Rose McGowan, one of the first women to publicly accuse Weinstein of assault."We were young women who were assaulted by Weinstein and later terrorized by his vast network of complicity. I stand with my fellow survivors. May this give hope to all victims and survivors everywhere that are telling their truths," she said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
Dozens of accusations
Weinstein has been accused of rape, assault and other forms of sexual misconduct. Weinsten's representative has said he sought treatment after the accusations and any allegations of non-consensual sex were "unequivocally denied."
Dozens of women have come forward publicly to accuse Weinstein of misconduct following reports in The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2017 about his treatment of women, including actresses with whom he worked. Two of those women, Asia Argento and Ashley Judd, on Thursday tweeted an article about Weinstein turning himself in. Paz de la Huerta, another Weinstein accuser, declined to comment on the news.The women said Weinstein threatened to ruin their careers if they went public with their accounts. On Thursday, New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor recounted in a tweet some of his threats and declared "not anymore."
A movement gains steam
The allegations catalyzed the decades-old #MeToo movement that calls attention to sexual misconduct. The heightened scrutiny has rippled across industries and ensnared numerous powerful men, from journalists Matt Lauer and Mark Halperin to chefs Maria Batali and John Besh.On Thursday, CNN reported that several women have accused actor Morgan Freeman of inappropriate behavior and harassment.
#MeToo also sparked conversations about everyday workplace harassment. Tarana Burke, who started #MeToo, said Weinstein's intention to turn himself in marked a turning point in the conversation."This moves from the court of public of opinion into an actual courtroom," Burke told Variety. "That is super cathartic for a bunch of the survivors, or even survivors who are not necessarily victimized by him."
CNN's Frank Pallotta contributed reporting.
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