NEW YORK — Harvey Weinstein, the once-all-powerful Hollywood mogul whose downfall sparked the global #MeToo movement, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday. The sentence, handed down in a downtown Manhattan courtroom, follows a high-stakes retrial in which a jury found him guilty of a first-degree criminal sexual act against a former “Project Runway” production assistant.
Weinstein, 73, appeared in the courtroom in a wheelchair, his hands shackled to his seat, a stark departure from the days when he dominated the film industry as the co-founder of Miramax.
The victim, Miriam Haley, provided a searing victim impact statement that underscored the lasting trauma of her 2006 encounter with Weinstein in his New York City apartment. “He abused his position and power,” Haley told the court, describing the psychological toll of the assault. “It is a life sentence for me.”
Judge Curtis Farber delivered a stern rebuke of the former producer before finalizing the sentence. “You took what you wanted by force, and you have never accepted responsibility,” Farber told Weinstein. In addition to the 15-year term, Weinstein will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
When offered the opportunity to speak, Weinstein maintained his innocence, though he offered a qualified apology. “I am not a perfect person, but I am a person who has made mistakes,” he said. He denied the violent nature of the accusations, insisting, “I am not a violent man.”
This sentencing marks the latest chapter in a six-year legal odyssey. Weinstein was originally convicted in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison, but that conviction was overturned by a New York state appeals court in 2024. The June 2025 retrial led to the guilty verdict regarding Haley, though jurors acquitted him of separate charges involving a former model and failed to reach a verdict on allegations made by Jessica Mann.
Weinstein’s legal troubles remain far from over. He is currently serving a 16-year sentence in Los Angeles following a 2022 conviction for rape and sexual assault, though that sentence is also subject to pending legal review.
Once a titan who steered films like “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love” to Academy Award glory, Weinstein’s influence evaporated in 2017 following explosive exposés by The New York Times and The New Yorker. Since his initial arrest in 2018, more than 80 women have come forward with allegations of misconduct against him.
Weinstein’s health has been in visible decline throughout the proceedings. Having faced diagnoses of bone marrow cancer, kidney disease, and diabetes, he has been held in the Bellevue Hospital prison ward. He is expected to remain there briefly before being transferred to a state prison to begin serving his term.
Disclaimer: This content is auto-generated for informational purposes only.
Source: Read Original News
