Eric Weinberg: Inside the sordid life of ‘Scrubs’ producer charged with 18 counts of sexual assault
WARNING: This article contains details of incidents of sexual assault that some readers may find traumatic. Discretion is advised
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Eric Weinberg, who produced popular TV shows including 'Scrubs,' 'Californication,' and 'Anger Management,' has been charged with 18 counts of forcible rape and assault. The 62-year-old TV producer allegedly sexually assaulted five women from 2014 to 2019.
As previously reported, on July 14, five-time Emmy nominee Weinberg was arrested on charges of sexual assault, including rape but was released on a $3M bond. He was arrested again on Tuesday, October 4, but was re-released on a $5M bond. In a press conference on Wednesday, October 5, District Attorney George Gascon said that his office asked that Weinberg remain in detention without bail but that a judge denied the request. Gascon said that Weinberg quickly posted bail and was now out of custody. "The defendant relied on his Hollywood credentials to lure young women for photo shoots where he allegedly sexually assaulted them. Power and influence can corrupt some to hurt others that often leads to a lifetime of trauma for those who are victimized," he said.
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Mysterious personal life of Weinberg
Weinberg's personal life is not known. However, it was reported that Weinberg’s wife Hilary Bidwell filed for divorce in 2020 after she allegedly found a handwritten log of women’s names, their routines and locations inside Weinberg’s golf bag, reported The Guardian. In response, Weinberg’s attorney, who has not been named, said, “The claims have previously been investigated and reviewed by both law enforcement and the LA family court and the results have continued to unveil a myriad of evidence, documentation and expert analysis that wholly undermine the narrative now being promulgated."
First arrest in 2014
Weinberg was first arrested in 2014 when 22-year-old restaurant manager Kayra Raecke told LAPD that the producer had raped her during a photo shoot at his Los Feliz home when she was just 16. She said during the shoot, Weinberg removed her clothes and assaulted her. She narrated how Weinberg “with one hand began choking Kayra and taking photos," according to Hollywood Reporter. She said, “After I had said no so many times, he continued doing what he wanted anyway. I didn’t know what else he was capable of, including violence. I thought there was a real possibility that I might die there.” However, according to documents, Weinberg told investigators that it was a “consensual sexual encounter”. In June that year, the district attorney’s office declined to prosecute, citing “insufficient evidence”, The Guardian report added.
Many of the police reports filed against Weinberg did not lead to an arrest until Claire Wilson, one of the accusers, came into the picture and started a women-only Los Angeles Facebook group in August 2020. Bidwell saw the Facebook posts and called Wilson for more information. The wife then hired a private investigator to find more claims against Weinberg. However, it was in March after a Los Angeles attorney named David DeJute gathered all accusers to discuss legal options, that he was arrested on July 14. Even though Weinberg is free for now, his arraignment is scheduled for October 25.