Harvey Weinstein set to pay out $44 million in settlement with women accusing him of sexual assault and harassment

Film producer Harvey Weinstein has reached a tentative $44 million settlement in civil cases with women accusing him of sexual assault and harassment, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The civil suits involve accusations from women in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada and date back nearly three decades.

Of the settlement, $30 million is set to go to accusers, Weinstein's former employees, and studio creditors. The other $14 million would be paid to associates of Weinstein, some of whom are co-defendants in the civil suits.

"For the first time, as of yesterday…we now have an economic agreement in principle that is supported by the plaintiffs, the [New York attorney general's] office, the defendants and all of the insurers," said attorney Adam Harris before a judge in Delaware.

According to The New York Times, the $44 million settlement would be covered by insurance policies if it is finalized and paid out.

Though the settlement is significant, it is apparently much less than it could've been. From NYT:

The proposed sum is less than half of what was initially discussed as a victims' fund as part of conversations last year between an investor group that was interested in buying assets of the Weinstein Company and Eric T. Schneiderman, who was then New York's attorney general. That proposed deal, which fell apart at the last minute, included a victims' fund worth up to $90 million.

This settlement would wrap up only part of the legal turmoil Weinstein faces. Weinstein is also facing multiple rape charges, with a trial set for September. He has pleaded not guilty to one charge of first-degree rape, one count of third-degree rape, and one count of a criminal sexual act.

"However reprehensible the crime of rape is, it is equally reprehensive to falsely accuse someone of rape," Weinstein's lawyer Benjamin Brafman said in court last year. "Mr. Weinstein has denied these allegations. He enjoys the presumption of innocence and vigorously denies these charges. He intends to fight them."

(H/T The Hill)