Harvey Weinstein has reached tentative $36 million settlement with his accusers

After a lengthy and highly publicised legal battle, disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has reached a deal with dozens of his alleged victims.

Disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein has reached a deal with his several accusers that does not require an admission of guilt.

After a two year legal fight, Weinstein, 67, has agreed to a tentative $US25 million ($A36.3 million) settlement with more than 30 actresses and former Weinstein employees, who in lawsuits have accused him of an array of offences from sexual harassment to rape.

He will not pay out of his own pocket, and instead would be paid by insurance companies representing his former company, the Weinstein Company, which is currently in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings.

The deal, which needs court approval and a final sign-off by all parties, brings to an end almost every lawsuit filed against Weinstein.

He is still scheduled to go to trial in New York in early January on charges of sexual assault involving two women, claims he vehemently denies.

Movie producer Harvey Weinstein departs from criminal court after a bail hearing on December 11, 2019 in New York City. Picture: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

According to the New York Times, Katherine Kendall, 50, an actress who said Weinstein chased her around his New York apartment naked in 1993 after she thought she was meeting him for a work chat, said she only agreed to the therms because she didn’t want to block fellow plaintiffs from getting whatever recompense they could.

“I don’t love it, but I don’t know how to go after him,” she said. “I don’t know what I can really do.”

It came after Weinstein’s bail was increased from $1 million to $5 million on Wednesday, local time, over allegations he violated bail conditions by mishandling his electronic ankle monitor.

But Judge James Burke rejected prosecution calls to put him in jail over the alleged violation.

Weinstein arrived at court in the morning using a walker, and his lawyer said he will be undergoing back surgery on Thursday. In his last court appearance, he hobbled into court and looked more pained than usual. On Wednesday, Burke warned that he would revoke his bail and issue a warrant for his arrest if other issues crop up.

“If you have any further medical issues, the court will not be terribly understanding,” Mr Burke said.

Weinstein was calm and respectful during the hearing and indicated that the surgery would help ensure his appearance at his trial. The disgraced movie mogul is scheduled to stand trial in New York City beginning Jan. 6 on rape and sexual assault charges.

“As it was made clear in court today, Mr Weinstein is looking forward to January 6,” Weinstein’s lawyer, Donna Rotunno said.

Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to charges he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and performed a forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006. He had been free on $1 million bail and maintains that any sexual activity was consensual.

Weinstein. Picture: Jeenah Moon/Getty Images/AFP.

For the new bail, Weinstein’s defence team chose an option that lets him meet the obligation by putting up $2 million through a bail bondsman – that option was available because of the recent changes to bail rules in New York. That amount includes the $1 million he had already put up for bail. Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi said at a hearing Friday that Weinstein has repeatedly, purposely left at home a piece of the monitoring technology that keeps the ankle bracelet activated.

That has left his whereabouts unrecorded for hours at a time, she said. Ms Rotunno has denied it was anything deliberate, blaming “technical glitches” like dead batteries and said it had nothing to do with manipulation of the bracelet, though she acknowledged that on at least one occasion, he’d forgotten part of the device at house.

Weinstein was in court for a ruling on whether he would remain free on bail or if his bail will be raised to $5 million before his trial starts January 6. Picture: Jeenah Moon/Getty Images/AFP.

But on Wednesday, Ms Illuzzi told the court that the person monitoring Weinstein does not believe the problems due to were technical glitches. While the monitoring now appears to be working, Ms Illuzzi said she thought that was because of the threat of new bail.

“I don’t think it was the adding of the extra batteries,” Ms Illuzzi said. “It was Mr Weinstein’s panic that the court might change the bail.”

After the hearing, Ms Rotunno countered that.

“There were no violations. These were technical issues related to a battery,” she said. “Ms. Illuzzi makes mountains out of mole hills.” In recent months, Weinstein has been spotted hobnobbing at New York City nightclubs and getting jeered at a recent actors showcase.

– With AP

[e-mail] | @Megan_Palin