Harvey Weinstein says he has endured “the worst nightmare of my life”.

The film producer is awaiting trial in New York, accused of rape, more than a year since women first came forward with allegations of sexual assault against him.

Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex and his lawyers have urged a judge to dismiss the case.

In a leaked email published by US celebrity news website TMZ, Weinstein wrote: “I’ve had one hell of a year … the worst nightmare of my life.”

Harvey Weinstein Desperate to Clear His Name in Leaked Email to Media https://t.co/UJcXVHMTBR

— TMZ (@TMZ) December 6, 2018

A representative for Weinstein confirmed the email’s authenticity.

According to the movie mogul’s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, the email was sent to a group of close friends.

The email, which links to several articles about the case, goes on to attack the police investigation into his alleged sex crimes.

It says: “As you can see from these articles, the police have played a very difficult role in my investigation. All three police officers have either been retired, or repositioned from the SVU (Special Victims Unit).

“The articles are self-explanatory, but I’d like to speak to you on the phone if you have some time. There is more to this story … I appreciate your confidentiality. Have a read of these articles. I wish I didn’t have to ask, but I’d be very appreciative of your time. Best, Harvey.”

Scores of women have come forward to allege Weinstein sexually assaulted them, with claims ranging from inappropriate touching to rape.

The 66-year-old is facing five charges in New York.

Weinstein’s legal team have scored a string of legal victories as they urge a judge to dismiss the allegations against him.

In November, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office closed an investigation into alleged settlement payments between Weinstein and some of his accusers.

In October, the DA dropped one of the charges against Weinstein after it emerged that a detective asked a witness not to come forward with evidence that could cast doubt on an accuser’s allegations.

Brafman, calling for the case against the film producer to be kicked out of court, said: “The only reasonably prudent decision would be to stop this chaos now.”

Weinstein is due to appear in court on December 20.

-AAP