A lawyer pictured alongside Prince Andrew this week has worked for disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Paul Tweed issued statements on behalf of Weinstein, 67, who is due to go on trial in New York in January charged with rape and sexual assault.
Mr Tweed, who has offices in London, Dublin and Belfast, is an expert in reputation management and has represented Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Liam Neeson, and Justin Timberlake.
He previously acted for Prince Andrew’s former wife Sarah Ferguson in a legal action over a US magazine story.
The prince has come under fire over his links with US financier Jeffrey Epstein, 66, who was found dead in his cell awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges. One of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Roberts, alleges she slept with Prince Andrew three times, which he strongly denies. He has also denied knowing anything about Epstein’s illegal activities.
The prince and Mr Tweed, 64, were photographed at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, on Monday. The prince, 59, was there as patron of the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy. There is no suggestion he or Buckingham Palace have hired Mr Tweed and the palace said: “Mr Tweed is a family friend.”
On TV in 2017, Zelda Perkins, Weinstein’s ex-assistant, accused Weinstein of trying to rape a colleague 20 years ago. Mr Tweed issued a statement saying: “Mr Weinstein categorically denies engaging in any non-consensual conduct or alleged threatening behaviour”.
He then threatened legal action “if you proceed with the broadcast of these allegations”.
Andrew has defended his links with Epstein in a statement, saying: “At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.”
Epstein and Weinstein were both at Prince Andrew’s daughter Beatrice’s 18th birthday in 2006.
