The Los Angeles Police Department announced on Wednesday that they are investigating Harvey Weinstein on allegations of rape. The announcement comes shortly after rumblings of similar investigations in New York and London.
“The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery Homicide Division has interviewed a potential sexual assault victim involving Harvey Weinstein which allegedly occurred in 2013,” said Sal Ramirez of the LAPD. “The case is under investigation. There is no more information at this time.”
Weinstein’s camp responded to the investigation news with a stern denial of the allegations before the disgraced movie mogul.
“Mr. Weinstein obviously can’t speak to anonymous allegations, but he unequivocally denies allegations of non-consensual sex,” said representatives of Weinstein.
Speaking with the Los Angeles Times under the request of anonymity, the woman that Weinstein allegedly assaulted said that he invited himself up to her hotel room, but she declined. After attempts to turn down his offer, Weinstein escalated the situation.
“He … bullied his way into my hotel room, saying, ‘I’m not going to [have sex with] you, I just want to talk,’” she said. “Once inside, he asked me questions about myself, but soon became very aggressive and demanding and kept asking to see me naked. He grabbed me by the hair and forced me to do something I did not want to do. He then dragged me to the bathroom and forcibly raped me.”
She told her attorney that she showed Weinstein pictures of her children in an effort to stop him.
“When he left, he acted like nothing happened,” she shared. “I barely knew this man. It was the most demeaning thing ever done to me by far. It sickens me still. … He made me feel like an object, like nothing, with all his power.”
Last week, criminal attorney Blair Berk was retained by Weinstein as new stories about the film titan’s behavior continue to pile up. Considering the developments in New York and London in regard to Weinstein allegations, Berk could find himself incredibly busy serving his client.
(Via Los Angeles Times & Deadline)
