Weinstein gets 15 years as six-year legal saga finally ends

Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting Miriam Haley in 2006 — more than six years after his original conviction launched one of the biggest criminal cases of the #MeToo era.

The 74-year-old former Hollywood powerhouse was sentenced in Manhattan on Wednesday after being convicted again at a retrial of forcibly performing a criminal sex act on Haley, a former television production assistant.

Weinstein had originally been sentenced to 23 years in 2020, after being convicted of assaulting Haley and raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann.

But New York's highest court overturned those convictions in 2024, ruling that testimony from other women whose allegations were not part of the charges had unfairly prejudiced his trial.

A conviction survives the legal storm

The retrial produced a complicated result.

Weinstein was convicted over the assault on Haley but acquitted in relation to another woman, Kaja Sokola. Jurors could not reach a verdict on the rape allegation involving Mann.

A later retrial of that remaining rape charge ended in a hung jury in May. Prosecutors subsequently dropped the case rather than pursue another trial.

That left the Haley conviction as the case that ultimately brought Weinstein back before the judge for sentencing.

He has already spent more than six years behind bars, meaning the new sentence leaves roughly nine years still to serve, although his separate California case could keep him imprisoned longer.

Weinstein still says he is innocent

Weinstein addressed the court from a wheelchair and apologised to people he may have hurt, while continuing to maintain his innocence.

His lawyers had asked for a much shorter sentence, citing his age and serious health problems. Prosecutors had sought 20 years.

Judge Curtis Farber ultimately imposed 15 years. AP reports that the judge said Weinstein's use of his Hollywood power to prey on women seeking opportunities in the industry was a significant factor in the case.

The #MeToo case that changed Hollywood

Weinstein's downfall began in 2017 when allegations by numerous women triggered the #MeToo movement and brought renewed attention to sexual misconduct and abuse of power in Hollywood.

He went from being one of the industry's most powerful producers — behind films including Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love and Chocolat — to becoming perhaps the most recognisable defendant associated with the movement.

Now, almost a decade after the allegations first exploded, the New York case has finally produced a 15-year sentence.

But Weinstein's legal battle is not necessarily over: his lawyers have indicated he will appeal, while a separate California case remains outstanding.

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I thought he was dead. Huh

The man was a pig, he obviously abused his power to a tremendous degree, and prison seems like the proper place for him. I hope he's making a lot of friends in there.

The really sad aspect of all this is that he was a very powerful man and a very wealthy man, and there were plenty of hot young women who would have been perfectly willing to give him whatever he wanted. But the man had twisted wiring and seem to prefer women who didn't want to give him what he wanted. Therein lies the malice and the evil.

One more down, many to go, hopefully as soon as possible before this type of animal hurts more women.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by fredwiggy

did he rally carry out forceable cunilingus on. a woman ,she would have closed her legs and clamped his head in a head lock .or fought himoff