Franziska Krug/Getty Images for BulgariUPDATE: After News 4 New York reported a Manhattan district attorney's plans to present its case seeking indictment of Harvey Weinstein to a grand jury, Paz De La Huerta's legal representative released the following statement to E! News expressing their support.
"Working with our client Paz De La Huerta, we have assisted the NYPD and the Office of the District Attorney for New York County in their efforts to assemble this case," it read. "At the time that Ms. De La Huerta made her criminal complaint on October 25th, we determined that she had sufficient corroborating evidence that a criminal complaint in this matter would have a high likelihood of eventual success."
The statement continued, "Since filing the complaint, a good deal of additional evidence has become available that further supports Ms. De La Huerta's assertion that she was the victim of a crime for which Harvey Weinstein could be convicted. We understand that he is innocent until proven guilty."
"We are aware of reporting published today by Ronan Farrow–who we have not been in touch with. It is our opinion at Tensor Law P.C. that there is no critical element of this alleged crime that Weinstein's attorneys can succeed in undermining."
"We are also aware of reporting today that the District Attorney intends to bring this matter before a Grand Jury next week. We support any decision towards proceeding on this case and are confident the District Attorney will be successful in obtaining a conviction," the statement concluded.
_________________________
Later on Friday, in response to a question by a reporter, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce talked about Paz de la Huerta's accusations against Harvey Weinstein at a press conference about crime statistics. He said police have "an actual case" and are gathering evidence.
"We became aware of the victim on October 25th," he said. "We got a phone call and we responded, we spoke to her. She put forth a credible and detailed narrative to us. We then sought to garner corroboration. This happened seven years ago and we found corroboration along the way. We immediately contacted the district attorney of New York and we started working the case together, both of us. We have an actual case here. So we are happy with where the investigation is right now. Mr. Weinstein is out of state. We would need an arrest warrant to arrest him. So right now, we're gathering our evidence. We continue to do so every day."
"As to others, I'm not gonna close the door and say that others won't come forward, but this is what we have right now," he said. "This is what we're moving forward with."
_________________________
Paz de la Huerta has come forward with additional rape accusations against Harvey Weinstein—ones that are currently being investigated by the New York police department and Manhattan District attorney's office.
In response to de la Huerta's rape accusations, Weinstein's spokesperson told E! News in a statement, "Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein."
In a phone interview with Vanity Fair, the Boardwalk Empire actress said she first met Weinstein when she was 14 years old while working on Miramax Films' The Cider House Rules. De la Huerta claimed Weinstein sent her science fiction books with a suggestion for a role when she was around 21 years old. Roughly five years later, the two allegedly ran into each other at the Top of the Standard bar in New York City.
As she told Vanity Fair, Weinstein offered her a ride home, but when they got to her house, he allegedly demanded to come in for a drink. Inside, he allegedly pushed her onto a bed and raped her, she described to the magazine.
According to CBS News, de la Huerta confronted him more than a month later in Los Angeles because he had kept calling her. In late December, he allegedly showed up in her building's lobby.
As de la Huerta described to Vanity Fair, she had been drinking and he allegedly insisted they talk in her apartment. She claimed to VF he allegedly raped her again.
Multiple women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, assault and rape since the first public allegations against him from several actresses were published in The New York Times and The New Yorker in October.
Meanwhile, a senior sex crimes prosecutor is now investigating de la Huerta's accusations.
"A senior sex crimes prosecutor is assigned to this investigation, and the Office has been working with our partners in the NYPD since the new allegations came to light," Joan Vollero, Communications Director for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., confirmed in a statement to E! News. "As this is an active investigation, we will not be commenting further."
New York Police Department detective Nicholas DiGaudio told Vanity Fair, "I believe based on my interviews with Paz that from the N.Y.P.D. standpoint we have enough to make an arrest."
(Originally published on Friday, November 3 at 9:19 a.m. PT)