Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has reportedly hired Bill Cosby’s lawyer to appeal his Los Angeles sexual assault and rape conviction, according to The Guardian.
Weinstein hired Michael Freedman and Jennifer Bonjean as his lead counsel, the outlet reported. Bonjean helped Bill Cosby overturn his 2021 sexual assault conviction on a technicality.
Harvey Weinstein has hired the criminal defense attorney who got Bill Cosby’s conviction overturned to handle his Los Angeles appeal.https://t.co/4xpZ7POVcK
— Variety (@Variety) May 1, 2023
Weinstein was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison in Los Angeles in February, in addition to the 23-year prison term he was already serving for a sexual assault conviction in New York, the outlet previously reported. His trial and conviction became synonymous with the 2017 “Me Too” Movement that highlighted a number of alleged sexual offenders in Hollywood. (RELATED: Ex-Hollywood Mogul Harvey Weinstein Gets 16 More Years For Rape Charges)
The Los Angeles conviction stems from a 2013 incident where Weinstein was later convicted of assaulting a woman identified as “Jane Doe 1,” the outlet reported. She was later revealed to be actress Evgeniya Chernyshova, The Hollywood Reporter noted.
In addition to overturning Cosby’s conviction, Bonjean has represented R. Kelly, and Nxivm sex cult leader Keith Raniere, Variety reported. Bonjean will also represent Weinstein in a civil case against Chernyshova.
“The Bonjean Law Group and Jennifer Bonjean herself understand the issues facing Harvey and knows what is needed; not simply the law, but the environment in which we exist now,” Juda Engelmayer, Weinstein’s spokesperson, told Variety in a statement. “Harvey’s appeal in L.A. will be made in a way that not only demonstrates errors in applications of law and possible bias in meting out so-called justice, but will also expose how the proverbial deck was stacked in advance against Weinstein.”