Harvey Weinstein's wife Georgina Chapman announces she's leaving him

Harvey Weinstein's wife Georgina Chapman has announced she is leaving her husband, following allegations he sexually harassed dozens of women

This is the first time Chapman, the British fashion designer behind the luxury label Marchesa, has addressed the accusations made against her husband by The New York Times.

"My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions," Chapman said in a statement to People magazine.

"I have chosen to leave my husband. Caring for my young children is my first priority and I ask the media for privacy at this time."

Weinstein, 65, and Chapman, 41, married in 2007 and have two children together - India Pearl, 7, and Dashiell Max Robert, 4.

Just a few days ago Weinstein told the New York Post that he had his wife's full support.

"She stands 100 per cent behind me. Georgina and I have talked about this at length," Weinstein said.

"Georgina will be with Lisa [lawyer Lisa Bloom, who announced this week she is no longer representing Weinstein] and others kicking my ass to be a better human being and to apologise to people for my bad behaviour, to say I'm sorry, and to absolutely mean it."

The couple met at a party in 2004 and soon moved in to a $US7million loft in New York City shortly after Weinstein divorced his first wife of 17 years, Eve Chilton, and mother to his first three children.

"I had no idea who he was," Chapman told Vogue of their first meeting. "He's not a person you can sort of ignore or brush off. He's incredibly charming and so charismatic, it sort of draws you in."

"We were friends and now we have moved on to this nice situation," Weinstein said of his first wife at the 2005 Golden Globes.