LAPD Opens Investigation Of Rape Allegations Against Harvey Weinstein
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has now found himself at the center of a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department following a rape complaint filed by a 38-year-old Italian actress.
The actress filed a formal police complaint with the LAPD on Thursday, Oct. 19, alleging that she was brutally raped by Weinstein in 2013 even after she begged him to stop.
"The Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery Homicide Division has interviewed a potential sexual assault victim involving Harvey Weinstein which allegedly occurred in 2013," LAPD Officer Sal Ramirez said in a statement on Thursday, according to Deadline. "The case is under investigation."
Weinstein's representatives have denied the rape allegations but if the producer is found guilty of the charges, he could be facing a maximum sentence of eight years behind bars under state law. The alleged victim has not yet been identified but was described as a popular figure in Italy, who has worked in several Italian films and has also been featured on the cover of Vogue Italia.
The actress, who was 34 at the time of the incident, shared horrifying details of her encounter in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. According to the actress, the incident took place at the Mr. C Beverly Hills hotel following the 8th annual Los Angeles, Italia Film, Fashion and Art Fest in February 2013.
The actress said that she had previously been introduced to Weinstein through a common friend and at that time, the producer invited her up to his hotel room, but she politely declined the proposition. This time, the actress alleged, Weinstein, unexpectedly showed up at her hotel and asked if he could come up to her room, but she refused and offered to meet him in the lobby. The actress pointed out that the producer paid no heed to her refusal and found him knocking on her door shortly after.
"He ... bullied his way into my hotel room, saying, 'I'm not going to [have sex with] you, I just want to talk,'" the woman told the publication, before adding that once he was inside the room he started showing signs of aggression and repeatedly asked to see her naked. The encounter supposedly lasted for about 45 minutes.
The actress is the latest woman to come forth with her story of sexual assault at the hands of Weinstein. Multiple women, including actresses like Angelina Jolie, Ashley Judd, Lena Headey and Gwyneth Paltrow have accused the producer of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment following an expose by the New York Times published on Oct. 5.
