Weinstein Company Releases All Accusers From Nondisclosure Agreements With Bankruptcy Filing

The Weinstein Company has dissolved its nondisclosure agreements with Harvey Weinstein’s many sexual misconduct accusers, Bob Weinstein said on Monday,

In step with announcing its bankruptcy filing, the TWC chairman said his brother “Harvey Weinstein used non-disclosure agreements as a secret weapon to silence his accusers. Effective immediately, those ‘agreements’ end.”

Bob Weinstein said the Company “expressly releases any confidentiality provision to the extent it has prevented individuals who suffered or witnessed any form of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein from telling their stories. No one should be afraid to speak out or coerced to stay quiet.”

Also Read: Weinstein Company Files Bankruptcy, Lantern Capital to Purchase Nearly All Assets

It’s not immediately clear what impact the newfound freedom for accusers means for ongoing civil and criminal Weinstein cases, including police investigations in three cities and a class action against the disgraced mogul.

Only days after two exposes detailing Weinstein’s accused misconduct hit last October, his staffers penned an open letter in The New Yorker pleading to be released from the NDAs that came standard with their employment agreements.

His accusers like Rose McGowan, who said Weinstein raped her at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997, has referenced an NDA she entered into with Weinstein numerous times as prohibitive to proving her account. Weinstein denies all accounts of nonconsensual sex against him.

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who sued the TWC board and effectively blocked a $500 million sale, praised the company’s move as a “watershed moment.”

“The Weinstein Company’s agreement to release victims of and witnesses to sexual misconduct from non-disclosure agreements — which my office has sought throughout this investigation and litigation — will finally enable voices that have for too long been muzzled to be heard,” Schneiderman said.

Read the full statements:

From the TWC Board: 

Today, the Company also takes an important step toward justice for any victims who have been silenced by Harvey Weinstein. Since October, it has been reported that Harvey Weinstein used non-disclosure agreements as a secret weapon to silence his accusers. Effective immediately, those “agreements” end. The Company expressly releases any confidentiality provision to the extent it has prevented individuals who suffered or witnessed any form of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein from telling their stories. No one should be afraid to speak out or coerced to stay quiet. The Company thanks the courageous individuals who have already come forward. Your voices have inspired a movement for change across the country and around the world.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman:

“This is a watershed moment for efforts to address the corrosive effects of sexual misconduct in the workplace. The Weinstein Company’s agreement to release victims of and witnesses to sexual misconduct from non-disclosure agreements — which my office has sought throughout this investigation and litigation — will finally enable voices that have for too long been muzzled to be heard.

My office will continue to fight for victims’ best interests throughout the bankruptcy proceedings, and engage with all parties, including The Weinstein Company and Lantern, in an ongoing effort to advance the principles we set forward when we filed our complaint: ensuring that victims are compensated, employees are protected moving forward, and perpetrators and enablers of abuse are not unjustly enriched. We welcome the parties’ efforts to preserve jobs and pursue justice for victims.

Our lawsuit against The Weinstein Company, Bob Weinstein, and Harvey Weinstein remains active and our investigation is ongoing.”