Film exec Harvey Weinstein sells Westport residence at reduced price

Film executive Harvey Weinstein, who is at the center of sexual harassment scandal, has sold his Westport home at 20 Minute Man Hill for a reduced price. The name of the buyer was not disclosed.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Weinstein, who produced the Academy Award-winning films “Shakespeare in Love” and “Chicago,” bought the 3,050-square-foot property 20 years ago for $825,000 and initially listed it in April for $2.25 million. The price was later reduced to $1.795 million before selling at $1.65 million. The property is one of three Westport residences owned by Weinstein; his properties at 26 and 28 Beachside Ave. were the center of regional attention in August 2012 when he hosted a $35,800 per person Democratic fundraiser that included an appearance by President Barack Obama.

Separately, the office of U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced that it would be donating a $5,400 campaign contribution from Weinstein to an undisclosed charity. This follows a New York Times article detailing alleged cases of sexual harassment by Weinstein, the co-founder of Miramax and Weinstein Co. Weinstein initially issued an apology, claiming that he failed to adapt to changing social protocol.

“I came of age in the ’60s and ’70s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different,” he said in a statement. “That was the culture then. I have since learned it’s not an excuse, in the office ”“ or out of it.”

His attorney Charles Harder later informed the Hollywood Reporter that he was preparing a lawsuit against The New York Times, claiming that its coverage was “saturated with false and defamatory statements about Harvey Weinstein.”