Harvey Weinstein has been charged in Los Angeles with rape and sexual assault in relation to two separate incidents over a two-day period in 2013.
The charges against the disgraced movie mogul came just as his high-profile sex crimes trial opened in New York.
The New York trial kicks off proceedings key to the #MeToo movement that could see the once-mighty Hollywood producer jailed for life if convicted on charges of predatory sexual assault.
The disgraced movie mogul entered the New York state courthouse today, more than two years after a slew of allegations against him triggered waves of outrage over pervasive sexual assault in the workplace, leading to the downfall of dozens of powerful men.
Demonstrators anchored by actresses Rose McGowan and Rosanna Arquette - two of Mr Weinstein's most prominent accusers - gathered outside the Manhattan court wielding signs with slogans like "Justice for survivors".
"Time's up on sexual harassment in all work places," Ms Arquette said.
"Time's up on empty apologies without consequences. And time's up on the pervasive culture of silence that has enabled abusers like Weinstein."
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The first day in court was largely technical and lasted just over an hour, with the judge rejecting a defence request that the jury be sequestered.
In one testy exchange, Manhattan District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon accused a lead defence attorney, Donna Rotunno, of quoting sealed documents to the press.
Ms Rotunno shot back, reproaching the prosecutor for calling Mr Weinstein a "predator" in court.
The judge said pre-screening would begin tomorrow and proper jury selection could be delayed until 14 January, with the proceedings expected to last six to eight weeks.
Almost 90 women, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused the 67-year-old of sexual misconduct since The New York Times detailed claims against him in October 2017.
But Mr Weinstein, once one of Hollywood's most influential figures, is being tried in New York on charges related to just two women, highlighting the difficulty of building cases around incidents that took place years ago.
Former production assistant Mimi Haleyi alleges that the "Pulp Fiction" producer forcibly performed oral sex on her in his New York apartment in July 2006.
The second alleged victim is anonymous. She says Mr Weinstein, the co-founder of Miramax Films, raped her in a New York hotel room in March 2013.
"The Sopranos" actress Annabella Sciorra will also give evidence as the prosecution seeks to convince the jury that Mr Weinstein engaged in a pattern of predatory sexual behavior.
A conviction would signal a watershed moment in the #MeToo movement's fight against sexual harassment and abuse of power in Hollywood and beyond.
Since the movement took hold, almost all men felled in a deluge of allegations have escaped prosecution.
The only other trial on the horizon is that of R&B singer R Kelly, who was charged last year with several assaults on young women, but allegations of sexual impropriety have dogged him for years.
American comedian Bill Cosby was sentenced to at least three years in prison in September 2018, although proceedings had started in late 2015, two years before the post-Weinstein surge of allegations.
Mr Weinstein, who has always maintained that his sexual relationships were consensual, is unlikely to testify.
His defence team has been trying to undermine the allegations of the two accusers on the charge sheet since long before the start of the trial.
