Harvey Weinstein has responded to his former lawyer’s comment that leaving the movie mogul’s sexual assault case was like winning the lottery.

A judge has approved a swap that saw lawyers Donna Rotunno and Damon Cheronis join Weinstein’s defence team and lawyer Jose Baez leave.

Afterward, Mr Baez said: “I feel like I won the lottery. Just kidding.”

Weinstein responded through his spokesman, saying: “With a lawyer like Donna Rotunno, I feel like I’m the one who won the lottery.”

Ms Rotunno is a #MeToo critic.

She has espoused a philosophy that the movement is overblown and that women are “responsible for the choices they make”.

Mr Baez is known for representing high-profile clients.

He told a judge in a letter last month that Weinstein made representing him “unreasonably difficult”.