I believe that dragging the case out was a tactic of Weinstein’s attorneys. The Times piece said the insurance company is paying out the settlement, in addition to $12 million USD of Weinstein and his board’s legal fees. That’s a lot of very expensive and very good legal aid, which they used to drag out this case for 26 months until the plaintiffs were exhausted physically, emotionally, and capitally. $25 million USD is not nearly enough for their anguish, but it probably feels like they have no other choice at this point. There is this set pot of money from the insurance company, and his accusers are faced with the decision of letting Weinstein’s legal team eat up more of that pot while they negotiate for more, or taking this settlement and trying to return to their lives. The Times report already noted the pot has dwindled significantly from the $90 million USD victims’ fund that was projected by the studio last year. My heart breaks for them, and I hope they can get back to their normal lives successfully. If I could say anything to them, it would be: Thank you for fighting as long as you did.