The Hollywood Reporter's editorial director breaks down the latest developments in Harvey Weinstein'

(25 May 2018) THR EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: 'EXHALE' IN HOLLYWOOD FOLLOWING CHARGES AGAINST HARVEY WEINSTEIN It was the moment the #MeToo movement had been waiting for: Harvey Weinstein in handcuffs. The once-powerful Hollywood figure emerged from a police station Friday (May 25) facing rape and criminal sex act charges, a searing reckoning for the man who became a symbol of a worldwide outcry over sexual misconduct. "Today was an extraordinary day in Hollywood history. Harvey Weinstein, one of the most admired and it times feared moguls in the industry, was arrested and charged with rape in New York," explained Matthew Belloni, Editorial Director at The Hollywood Reporter.   From "We got you!" to "I'm still scared of him," the sight of Weinstein in handcuffs evoked an array of emotions in his accusers. Some were claiming victory, while others cautioned there was still a long way to go before they might possibly see the disgraced mogul behind bars. "In many areas of Hollywood there is an exhale today because there is some sense of not necessarily justice but catharsis in that what people kind of knew for many, many years and certainly have known since October 5th, which was the day the first New York Times story came out -- that has been vindicated in a small way by this arrest," Belloni said. One of his accusers is former actress Lucia Evans, who says Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex in his office in 2004. Weinstein was charged Friday with attacking Evans and raping another, unidentified woman at a hotel in 2013. "In the courtroom, which the proceeding lasted about 90 minutes we're told, he was formally charged there (with) two counts of rape and there are… there are, and he formally plead not guilty. Then he was escorted out of the courthouse and he was given a $1 million bail and asked to wear an ankle bracelet. He was told that he cannot travel anywhere except for Connecticut and New York and he was told to return to court July 30." Belloni said. More than 75 women have accused Weinstein of wrongdoing, and authorities in California and London are also investigating assault allegations. His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, also has said that Weinstein was a "principal target" of an investigation being conducted by the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan. "There is a separate federal investigation that is now going. There are also criminal investigations in Los Angeles and some other venues in addition to a number of civil cases that are pending against both Weinstein and the Weinstein company," Belloni said. In April, Bill Cosby was convicted of sexual assault in Pennsylvania, for drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion 14 years ago. Belloni pointed to Cosby's trials as examples of how difficult it can be to get a conviction in sexual assault cases. As for the timeframe, Belloni guesses it may take up to a year before we know the results of Weinstein's case. "I would say months. I don't think, I wouldn't say years. I think there's going to be a lot of pressure on the district attorney to bring this case and get it in front of a jury. So I would say maybe a year," he said. Belloni is optimistic about the future of the #MeToo movement and says Weinstein's arrest and felony sex charges is another example of Hollywood's changing dynamic. Weinstein has consistently denied any allegations of nonconsensual sex. Brafman said Friday that he would fight to get the charges dismissed. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...