Friday morning marked a turning point in the saga that was the controversy surrounding disgraced filmmaker Harvey Weinstein after he turned himself in to police on charges of first-degree rape, third-degree rape, and first-degree criminal sex acts.
Since his arrest, however, Weinstein posted $1 million bail and is currently wearing a monitoring device that does not allow him to go past New York or Connecticut.
“Today’s charges reflect significant progress in this active, ongoing investigation,” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. said in a statement on Friday. “I thank the brave survivors who have come forward, and my Office’s prosecutors who have worked tirelessly on this investigation.”
Since October of last year, over 80 women have come forward with allegations against Weinstein, including the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Uma Thurman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Rose McGowan, who accused him of raping her at the Sundance Film Festival.
Friday, McGowan, one of Weinstein’s more vocal victims, sat down on "Megyn Kelly Today" to discuss her sentiments on his arrest.
“I actually didn’t believe this day would come,” she admitted. “This is a big strike into the heart of abuse of power, and it shows people worldwide—which is what I was hoping the whole time—that this cannot, and will not, stand […] The man who pinned me down had handcuffs on him today.”
Among other names who echoes McGowan’s sentiments via social media included Asia Argento who accused Weinstein of raping her at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, accuser Annabella Sciorra, and journalists Ronan Farrow and Jodi Kantor who played a role in breaking stories that put Weinstein’s actions in the public eye.
Weinstein is set to appear in court on July 30th.
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