Weinstein Company releases accusers from nondisclosure agreements in filing for bankruptcy

The Weinstein Company has announced that it will dissolve nondisclosure agreements applying to accusers of Harvey Weinstein as it files for bankruptcy protection.

The production company has been rocked by a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against Mr Weinstein, who was voted off the board of the company he co-founded (Mr Weinstein has denied allegations of nonconsensual sexual contact).

A national reckoning around sexual harassment and assault has amplified criticism of nondisclosure agreements, which critics have described as tools often used to silence victims of sexual misconduct.

In a statement announcing it was declaring bankruptcy, the Weinstein Company said it would release potential victims of or witnesses to Mr Weinstein’s alleged misconduct from confidentiality agreements, saying “no one should be afraid to speak out or coerced to stay quiet”, the company said in a statement.

“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 said in a statement. “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”.

The decision drew praise from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, whose office has sued Weinstein Company executives for failing to protect employees.

“This is a watershed moment for efforts to address the corrosive effects of sexual misconduct in the workplace”, Mr Schneiderman said in a statement.

“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”.