Juror on Harvey Weinstein Sex Abuse Case Now Accused of Rape
By: Ellen Cans
A lawsuit has been filed in Manhattan Federal Court accusing Steven Brecher of drugging and rapping two women. Brecher, 55, became well-known after bragging that he was the juror in the Harvey Weinstein case who had “singlehandedly delivered” the guilty verdict for the ex-movie director in February 2020. Brecher is the former CEO of Milan-based spirits company Fratelli Branca, which is a subsidiary of Branca USA. As reported by the NY Post, the lawsuit is brought forth by two women, not publicly named, who each claim they went out for drinks with Brecher and blacked out. They are suing the company, Fratelli Branca, where they were formerly employed. Brecher has not been criminally charged and is not being sued, but was named as the women’s attacker in the litigation.
The women claim in the suit, that Brecher allegedly coerced them into sexual relationships, threatening that they would lose their jobs if the truth came public. Jane Doe 1, a 29-year-old handling Branca USA’s market in Pennsylvania, says she first met the married Brecher in 2019. She says they met to check out bars and restaurants stocking Branca products, but that she blacked out, and woke up naked next to Brecher in a strange hotel room, feeling physically ill and bleeding from her behind, she alleges in court papers. She said she feared she would be fired if she reported the incident. She said a similar incident happened two months later when she was in New York for a company event and had drinks. “Her next memory is waking up naked and confused in his Upper East Side apartment,” the filing claims.
Months later, it was the second woman’s turn. As per the Post, the second alleged victim, a 27-year-old employee at the same company, says she was invited for drinks and similarly blacked out. The two women “started talking and realized they had similar experiences with the CEO … especially when they learned that he had accused both of them of roofying him, when they woke up next to him with no memory of the night before,” as per the lawsuit.
“In my 17 years of practicing employment law, I’ve never heard of conduct this egregious in the workplace,” said Orit Goldring, a lawyer for the two women.
Branca has since terminated Brecher from the company. Both women, who are seeking unspecified damages, have since resigned from the company. Branca USA didn’t respond to the Post’s messages. Brecher couldn’t be reached for comment.
