How Many Women Accused Harvey Weinstein Of Sexual Harassment Or Assault?

The growing list of women who have come forward to claim they were sexually harassed or assaulted by disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein now tops over 40. The allegations follow two explosive exposés that alleged decades of sexual misconduct by the former studio executive.

Actress Ashley Judd was among the first to share her story with the New York Times for its reporting on the allegations published in early October. In her account, Judd claimed Weinstein once asked her up to his hotel room, where he then allegedly asked if he could give her a massage or if she could watch him shower.

In a statement to CNN through her publicist confirming the incident, Judd said: “Women have been talking about Harvey amongst ourselves for a long time, and it's simply beyond time to have the conversation publicly.”

Similar accounts of inappropriate advances have been leveled against Weinstein by dozens more women. Asia Argento, Rosanna Arquette, Gwyneth Paltrow, Katherine Kendall, Angelina Jolie, Cara Delevingne and others have publicly shared stories of alleged harassment by Weinstein.

Some have come forward claiming they were raped by Weinstein. Lysette Anthony, Lucia Evans, Rose McGowan and at least two other women who spoke to the media on the condition of anonymity claimed that they were assaulted by the producer. Weinstein’s alleged unsolicited sexual advances were corroborated by current and former colleagues of the ex-studio executive in a damning New Yorker report published Oct. 10.

“Sixteen former and current executives and assistants at Weinstein’s companies told me that they witnessed or had knowledge of unwanted sexual advances and touching at events associated with Weinstein’s films and in the workplace,” the report said. “They and others described a pattern of professional meetings that were little more than thin pretexts for sexual advances on young actresses and models.

“All sixteen said that the behavior was widely known within both Miramax and the Weinstein Company. Messages sent by Irwin Reiter, a senior company executive, to Emily Nestor, one of the women who alleged that she was harassed, described the “mistreatment of women” as a serial problem that the Weinstein Company had been struggling with in recent years.”

Weinstein has since been fired from his company. Additionally, he was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a decision that the organization said was made “well in excess of the required two-thirds majority” of its 54-member board.

“We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over,” the academy said in a statement.

Following the independent reports, which were published within days of each other, Weinstein checked himself into a rehabilitation center in Arizona for treatment. Shortly before departing Los Angeles, Weinstein addressed reporters.

“I’m hanging in, I’m trying my best,” he said. “I’m not doing OK but I’m trying. I gotta get help guys. You know what, we all make mistakes … Second chance, I hope.”