Harvey Weinstein Arrested On Friday Morning & Now Under Arraignment In Manhattan

Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein is pictured by New York Magazine, arriving at a lower Manhattan police station early Friday, turning himself in to face a series of charges related to his aggressive sexual tactics with women.

Weinstein was immediately arrested, the NYPD confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter and then charged with rape, a criminal sex act, sex abuse, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for his behavior with two women. Arraignment will happen later today. 

A statement released by the NYPD thanked "these brave survivors for their courage to come forward and seek justice". Details of the allegations and of those making the accusations have not yet been released.

Weinstein is expected to be be charged with assaulting former aspiring actress Lucia Evans, who was one of three women, along with Asia Argento, who told The New Yorker's Ronan Farrow in October that Weinstein had raped them.The alleged incident took place at the former Miramax offices in Tribeca in 2004. Evans told investigators that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him despite her verbal protests. According to reports, Weinstein is also expected to be charged with raping another, unnamed woman.

Farrow writes In a new story today,  that Evans confirms she was pressing charges against the disgraced mogul. One of the police sources called Evans “a highly credible witness with corroborating evidence," according to Farrow. 

“At a certain point, you have to think about the greater good of humanity, of womankind,” Evans explained. Farrow also reports that detectives began meeting with her and gathering evidence the day after The New Yorker's initial exposé was published in October 2017.

NYPD detectives have interviewed numerous women including the actor Paz de la Huerta, who says her charges are not part of today's court case. De la Huerta says that she is prepared to testify if asked. “I think he belongs in jail,” she said. Investigators presently have declined to identify the second woman charging Weinstein today.

Following the major exposes in The New Yorker and The New York Times,  the Weinstein Co. board ousted Weinstein.  The disgraced mogul was booted out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and also the Directors Guild.

Weinstein's sexual misconduct and assault has been documented by about 90 women around the world including Rose McGowan, Mira Sorvino, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Beckinsale and Ashley Judd are among the more than 50 women who are Weinstein's accusers.

 Ashley Judd is suing the 66-year-old Hollywood producer, filing a lawsuit on May 1 claiming he moved to sabotage her Hollywood career, after Judd spurned the mogul.  She filed suit in California, accusing Weinstein of defamation, sexual harassment and violation of the California Unfair Competition Law.

Judd's lawsuit is based on allegations by 'Lord of the Rings' director Peter Jackson who said in 2017 that he had considered Ms Judd for a role in the 2002 film but that she was "blacklisted" following conversations with the Weinstein Company. Jackson said that Weinstein warned him that Judd was a "nightmare" to work with.

Judd says that should she win her lawsuit -- a groundbreaking case that will be difficult to win -- she will donate any monetary damages to the 'Time's Up' legal defense fund. 

Like finally-convicted Bill Cosby before him, Weinstein insists that all sexual acts were consensual. 

The allegations against Mr Weinstein are credited with launching the #MeToo movement, which sought to demonstrate and draw attention to the widespread prevalence of sexual abuse and harassment in Hollywood and beyond. The Time's Up' legal defense fund recently filed suit against several major US companies hiring large numbers of working class women.