Harvey Weinstein’s attorney described his client as ‘lonely and angry’ before the disgraced film producer was charged with rape.
Weinstein, in his first public appearance since October, faced a New York court on Friday after being charged with two counts of rape and one count of a criminal sexual act for alleged incidents involving two separate women.
His lawyer Benjamin Brafman said outside court that Weinstein intended to plead not guilty to the charges.
In the days leading up to Weinstein handing himself into police, Brafman opened up about his client’s mental state and spoke of their legal strategy during a BBC interview.
Harvey Weinstein’s attorney Benjamin Brafman described his client as ‘lonely and angry’ before the disgraced film producer face a New York court on Friday charged with rape
Brafman said he had been speaking to Weinstein about 20 times each day and said he was, at times, ‘lonely and angry’.
He noted that the film producer had lost his job and his family as a result of the accusations.
Brafman also added that he doesn’t believe Weinstein’s accusers are telling the truth. He said the cases against Weinstein were ‘legally defective or factually not supported’.
Outside court on Friday, the attorney said Weinstein vehemently denied the charges and would fight to get them dismissed.
Brafman said he didn’t think a jury would believe Weinstein’s accusers – if potential jurors are ‘not consumed by the movement that seems to have consumed this case’.
Outside court on Friday, Brafman said Weinstein vehemently denied the rape charges and would fight to get them dismissed
Weinstein emerged in handcuffs at 8.45am on Friday outside Precinct 1 in Tribeca on Friday, laughing and smiling as he was led to his car
Allegations from dozens of women against the once-powerhouse producer catalyzed what became known as the #MeToo movement, a national reckoning about sexual misconduct.
A judge agreed to release Weinstein on $1 million bail on Friday after he agreed to wear an electronic monitor that tracks his movements 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Weinstein also surrendered his passport and agreed to stay within the states of New York and Connecticut.
It is the first time he has faced criminal charges since the allegations first emerged and sparked the MeToo and Time’s Up movements.
In the eight months since, scores of women have made sexual harassment and assault allegations against the movie mogul.
In relation to the specific charges brought against Weinstein, one of the women, Lucia Evans, claimed that she was forced to perform oral sex on him at the then-Miramax offices in Tribeca.
The second woman worked with Weinstein when she claims he forced himself on her in a hotel.
Survivor: The charges are related to two of the women who spoke in those first articles, Lucia Evans and another woman who remained anonymous
It is the first time he has faced criminal charges since the allegations first emerged and sparked the MeToo and Time’s Up movements