Harvey Weinstein believes it was his destiny to be accused of sex assault in order to 'change the world', it is claimed

Harvey Weinstein believes he is a savior who was born to be accused of sex assault in order to 'change the world', it is reported.

Sources close to the shamed producer said he has resigned himself to being punished over the allegations 'as a martyr for social change'.

The bizarre claim emerged after more than 80 women accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, assault and rape dating back to the 1970s.

Page Six initially reported the claim, which was dismissed by a representative of Weinstein as 'absurd'.

Sources told the site: 'Harvey believes he is a savior, that he was born to take the fall for his behavior in order to "change the world."'

It comes after Asia Argento, who accuses Weinstein of raping her, tweeted a list of 82 women who say they were also attacked by the producer.

'This is the list of all the 82 women who were sexually assaulted/raped/molested by Harvey Weinstein. We, the victims, have compiled this list,' she said.

But that list does not include Hope Exiner d’Amore and Cynthia Burr, who appeared in a New York Times report on Monday to accuse Weinstein of abuse dating back to the Seventies.

D’Amore said that Weinstein raped her in a hotel room in the 1970s, when he was a young concert promoter in Buffalo.

Meanwhile Burr said that during the same time period, he assaulted her in an encounter that began in an elevator and ended with forced oral sex in a hallway.

Ashley Matthau, a dancer with a bit-part in one of his movies, also came forward to say Weinstein attacked her in 2004 by straddling her on a bed and masturbating.

Days later, she says he paid her to be quiet.

More than 80 women have claimed Weinstein abused them as the scandal spread to Kevin Spacey, who was accused of attacking actor Anthony Rapp when he was just 14

Weinstein is believed to be in rehab and his representatives have denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.

Kevin Spacey has also been caught up in the widening Hollywood sex assault shame after Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp accused him of making an unwanted sexual advance when he was just 14.

In a rambling Twitter apology Spacey came out as gay before saying he could not remember the incident, though apologized if anything had happened.

He wrote: 'I'm beyond horrified to hear his story. I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago.

'But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.'