Weinstein, Spacey, others in spotlight

Accusations of sexual assault by movie producer Harvey Weinstein have opened the floodgates to a torrent of new allegations against powerful entertainment figures, and revived scrutiny of industry players previously accused of misconduct.

Here are the most prominent cases:

- Harvey Weinstein -

Dozens of women -- 93 by one count -- have accused the Oscar-winning producer Weinstein of offenses ranging from sexual harassment to rape dating back to the 1980s.

Weinstein, 65, and his brother Bob founded their movie production company Miramax in the 1970s and went on to produce a number of hit films including "Sex, Lies and Videotape," "Pulp Fiction" and "Shakespeare in Love."

The New York Times published the initial allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein on October 5 and The New Yorker followed up with additional accounts five days later.

Among the actresses who have stepped forward with accusations against Weinstein are stars such as Ashley Judd, Daryl Hannah, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie.

No criminal prosecutions have yet been launched against Weinstein but the authorities in New York, London and Los Angeles are reportedly looking into potential actions.

Weinstein was fired by Miramax and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

His publicist has issued a statement saying "any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein."

- Bill Cosby -

Cosby, the multiple Grammy- and Emmy-winning comedian, has been accused by dozens of women of drugging and raping them, with some accusations dating back to the 1960s.

Cosby, 80, made his name as a stand-up comedian before going on to appear in the hit television show "I Spy."

In the 1980s, he appeared in the popular TV comedy "The Cosby Show," which was seen as ground-breaking for its portrayal of a middle class African-American family.

Accusations of sexual assault against Cosby began to surface in 2014 and around 60 women have since come forward with allegations against him.

Only one criminal case has come to trial, however, because the statute of limitations for prosecution has run out on most of the others.

In that case, Andrea Constand accused Cosby of sexually assaulting her in January 2004 in his home in Cheltenham, a suburb of Philadelphia, Cosby's hometown.

She said he gave her pills that left her semi-conscious then made sexual advances -- a story not unlike those recounted by many of the other accusers.

The case ended in a mistrial in June but Cosby is to appear back in court in April 2018.

- James Toback -

The director of "Bugsy" and other films has been accused of sexually harassing dozens of women, many of whom he would approach on the street and offer movie roles.

Thirty-eight women told the Los Angeles Times of awkward or humiliating encounters with Toback, including times when he rubbed his crotch against them or masturbated.

Since the report, dozens of other women have come forward with stories of similar behavior by the 72-year-old Toback, whose film credits also include "The Pick-up Artist" and "Two Girls and a Guy."

Toback denied the allegations to the Times and claimed that because of poor health it was "biologically impossible" for him for the past 22 years to have committed the acts of which he is being accused.

Police in New York and Los Angeles said they were investigating multiple complaints against Toback following publication of the Los Angeles Times story.

The newspaper said that after its report it had received emails and phone calls from more than 200 additional women with stories about Toback.

- Brett Ratner -

Actresses Natasha Henstridge and Olivia Munn and four other women told the Los Angeles Times they had been the victims of sexual misconduct or harassment by Ratner, director of "Rush Hour" and "X-Men: The Last Stand."

Ratner, 48, rejected the accusations and filed a defamation suit against a woman who separately made allegations against him in a Facebook post.

Henstridge told the Times she was a 19-year-old fashion model in New York in the early 1990s when Ratner, then a music video director in his early 20s, forced her to perform oral sex.

Henstridge said she was inspired to come forward by the women who reported sexual misconduct by Weinstein and Toback.

Munn, who has appeared in the HBO show "The Newsroom" and the movie "Magic Mike," told the Times that Ratner had masturbated in front of her when she was an aspiring actress on the set of the movie "After the Sunset."

Four other women also recounted stories to the newspaper about Ratner being sexually inappropriate or intimidating.

Ratner, through his attorney, Martin Singer, rejected the accounts.

"I have represented Mr. Ratner for two decades, and no woman has ever made a claim against him for sexual misconduct or sexual harassment," Singer said.

- Kevin Spacey -

"Star Trek: Discovery" actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner, of making sexual advances towards him in 1986, when Rapp was 14 years old.

Since then, several other people have come forward with stories of sexual misconduct or harassment involving the 58-year-old actor.

They included eight people working on "House of Cards," who told CNN that the set of the hit Netflix series became a "toxic" environment because of Spacey's alleged behavior.

Netflix has suspended production of the show.

Following the accusation by Rapp, now 46, Spacey said he did not remember the encounter but that if he did behave as described he apologizes for "deeply inappropriate drunken behavior."

Spacey, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for "Usual Suspects" and one for Best Actor for "American Beauty," also revealed he was gay.

British police have meanwhile opened an investigation into an allegation of sexual assault from a man in 2008, when Spacey was artistic director at the Old Vic theater.

- Roman Polanski -

One of the longest-running sexual assault cases in Hollywood involves the French-Polish director Polanski, who pleaded guilty in the United States in 1977 to statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl.

Polanski, whose films include "The Pianist" and "Rosemary's Baby," fled for France before sentencing and has been a fugitive from the US justice system ever since, despite repeated attempts to have him extradited.

Last month, Swiss prosecutors confirmed they were investigating new rape allegations against Polanski made by a woman who said he assaulted her at a resort in the Swiss Alps in 1972.

The new claims, which the 84-year-old Polanski has denied through his lawyer, bring to at least four the number of women who have publicly accused him of sexual assault.

Source: AFP