Harvey Weinstein and the board of his bankrupt film studio have reached a tentative $25 million settlement with dozens of women who accused the former Hollywood producer of sexual misconduct, The New York Times said, citing lawyers involved in the negotiations.
The deal would end nearly all civil lawsuits by actresses and former Weinstein employees who accused him of offenses ranging from sexual harassment to rape, the newspaper said.
Insurers for the former Weinstein Co studio would fund the payout, and Mr Weinstein would not be required to admit wrong doing or to pay anything, the newspaper said.
Representatives for Mr Weinstein declined to comment.
He has been accused of sexual misconduct dating back decades by more than 70 women.
He has denied the allegations, saying any sexual encounters were consensual.
According to the NYT, accusers involved in the tentative accord would make their claims in bankruptcy court, and the $25m payout would be part of a $47m settlement to close out the studio's obligations.
The litigation is separate from criminal charges that Mr Weinstein faces in New York, where prosecutors have accused him of sexually assaulting two women, one in 2006 and another in 2013.
A trial is scheduled for 6 January 2020, and Mr Weinstein could face life in prison if convicted on the top counts.
Read More:
US judge dismisses Ashley Judd's sexual harassment claim against Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein charged in New York over sex offences
Mr Weinstein, 67, used a walker to enter the courthouse for a bail hearing, and is scheduled to have back surgery this week.
Through his namesake studio and his original Miramax studio, Mr Weinstein became one of Hollywood's most powerful executives, powering a string of films to Oscar gold, including "Pulp Fiction," "Shakespeare in Love" and "The King's Speech."
The accusations that surfaced against him in October 2017 helped spark the #MeToo movement, where hundreds of women have accused powerful men in entertainment, business, media, politics and other fields of sexual misconduct.
The reported settlement drew criticism from Doug Wigdor and Kevin Mintzer, lawyers for two of Mr Weinstein's accusers.
In a joint statement, they said the deal would pay too much to lawyers and too little to victims, and might excuse the studio's insurers and board from liability to victims who choose not to participate.
"While we don't begrudge victims who want to settle, we plan to vigorously object to any provision that tries to bind victims who want to proceed with holding Harvey Weinstein accountable for his actions," they said.
