Weinstein is expected to face trial this summer.
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein will have his day in court this year and his defence campaign has been hit with a major blow.
Having had his motion for a dismissal rejected last month, Weinstein’s lawyer has now moved to remove himself from proceedings altogether.
Benjamin Brafman told the New York Post on Tuesday that he is officially withdrawing from Weinstein’s defence team.
The news comes alongside the publication of a lengthy profile on Brafman by Esquire and appears to confirm rumours that he and Weinstein were clashing behind the scenes.
“I’m generally pleased with the Esquire story….In terms of the timing, it is somewhat ironic that it appears online now when some of it deals with the Harvey Weinstein case, which I’m withdrawing from,” Brafman told the New York Post.
The profile itself offers some hint of the relationship between the lawyer and his former client, indicating that Weinstein was prone to seek additional legal opinions regarding his case.
“He’s a nice guy, sometimes,” says Brafman in the 7500-word feature.
“I can say to him, ‘You can’t tell me to go to hell, because you need me. I take the abuse better than most.”
Weinstein’s sexual assault trial is scheduled to begin on Sunday 6 May in Manhattan Supreme Court.
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