Harvey Weinstein Will Not Face Criminal Charges Over Alleged Groping Incident

Model Amber Battilana accused the mogul of inappropriately grabbing her at The Weinstein Company offices in New York

Harvey Weinstein
Getty Images

Harvey Weinstein will not face criminal charges stemming from groping allegations by Italian model Amber Battilana, according to media reports.

The model, 22, claimed Weinstein, 63, grabbed her breasts and either her thigh or hips on Mar. 30 during a meeting at his offices in the Tribeca Film Center. Police questioned him the following day.

“This case was taken seriously from the outset, with a thorough investigation conducted by our sex crimes unit,” Joan Vollero, a spokeswoman for district attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., said. “After analyzing the available evidence, including multiple interviews with both parties, a criminal charge is not supported.”

At the time a source close to Weinstein said, “We believe this is a blackmail attempt, and he did nothing wrong.”

Ambra_Battilana
Accuser Ambra Battilana in 2013 (Getty Images)

Weinstein is co-chairman, with his brother Bob, of The Weinstein Company, which has been responsible for producing and/or distributing major theatrical releases such as Best Picture winners “The Artist” and “The King’s Speech,” and “The Imitation Game,” which won this year’s Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

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