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Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been convicted on one count of sexual assault and acquitted on another in his New York retrial a case that once again revisited the explosive allegations that ignited the global #MeToo movement.
On June 11, after six days of deliberation, a jury found Weinstein guilty of committing a first-degree criminal sexual act against former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. However, he was acquitted of a separate charge related to the alleged 2002 assault of Kaja Sokola, who was just 16 years old at the time.
The jury has yet to deliver a verdict on a third charge — third-degree rape — and is expected to resume deliberations on June 12.
Weinstein, now 73, faces up to 25 years behind bars for the criminal sexual act conviction, and an additional four years if found guilty of the remaining charge. He is already serving a 16-year sentence in California after a separate 2022 rape conviction.
This retrial followed the dramatic overturning of Weinstein’s original 2020 conviction and 23-year sentence by a New York appeals court, which ruled that the trial judge wrongly allowed testimony from women whose allegations were not part of the formal charges.
In this retrial, three women took the stand: two who accused Weinstein of forcing oral sex on them in 2006, and one who said he raped her in 2013. Former actress Jessica Mann, a key accuser from the initial trial, also gave testimony again, alleging she was raped by Weinstein in a Manhattan hotel room.
Prosecutors painted a picture of a man who repeatedly used his power and influence in the film industry to manipulate and assault women under the guise of helping their careers. Weinstein’s defense team argued all encounters were consensual, and accused the women of lying after their careers failed to take off.
Throughout the trial, Weinstein’s legal team made several unsuccessful attempts to declare a mistrial including a request after a sick juror was replaced, which the judge denied.
Weinstein’s retrial also cast a spotlight on his declining health. Since his incarceration in 2020, he has battled numerous serious medical issues, including chronic leukemia, diabetes, heart problems, sleep apnea, and back pain. In court, he has expressed doubt about how much longer he can survive behind bars.
The original accusations against Weinstein, first brought to light in 2017, helped fuel the #MeToo movement and triggered a reckoning across the entertainment industry. More than 100 women including high-profile actresses have come forward over the years to accuse him of misconduct.
As the jury continues deliberations, the once-powerful mogul awaits his fate — already a symbol of Hollywood’s long-overdue moment of accountability.
