New accuser comes forward against Harvey Weinstein

New sex crime accusations have come out against media mogul Harvey Weinstein, seven years after he became the central figure of the #MeToo accusations.

Weinstein, the disgraced head of Miramax, who still awaits retrial on the landmark #MeToo cases, yesterday pleaded not guilty to a new charge of forcing oral sex on a woman in a Manhattan hotel in spring 2006.

Prosecutors have released no details of the new accuser and Weinstein’s lawyer has denied the mogul has any knowledge of her.

The unnamed woman’s lawyer, Lindsay Goldbrum, said: “She will be fully prepared to speak her truth at trial to hold Mr. Weinstein accountable before a jury of his peers.” She said the woman doesn't want to be identified for now, and the law firm declined to say anything more about her or her accusation.

According to the indictment and another court document, the alleged assault – the specific charge is a “criminal sex act” – happened at a lower Manhattan hotel between 29 April and 6 May in 2006.

Weinstein has long maintained that he never engaged in any sexual activity that wasn’t consensual. Defence attorney Arthur Aidala reiterated Wednesday that his client “never forced himself on anyone.”

Aidala said he had “absolutely no clue” about the accuser’s identity or the specifics of the allegation.

72-year-old Weinstein, who is recovering from emergency surgery, came to court in a wheelchair, carrying two novels with him. He appeared to watch the proceeding intently.

In 2017, Weinstein became the focal point of the #MeToo movement when articles in the New Yorker and New York Times reported on accusations of sexual assault against him and the Hollywood industry’s wider complicity.

These allegations led to multiple lawsuits and a criminal conviction for