Who is Harvey Weinstein? Disgraced producer found guilty of sexual assault again

Hindustan Times

a day ago

Harvey Weinstein's name once opened doors in Hollywood. Now, it's tied to the biggest reckoning in entertainment history. The disgraced producer faces multiple convictions and prison sentences following years of allegations. In the latest courtroom drama, Weinstein's New York retrial ended abruptly after the jury foreman refused to deliberate. But prosecutors have confirmed they plan to pursue that charge again.
The retrial concluded on a dramatic note. A New York jury found Weinstein guilty of one count of criminal sexual act. The charge stemmed from the assault of Miriam Haley, a former Project Runway production assistant, in 2006.
Haley testified that Weinstein invited her to his SoHo apartment and later assaulted her in a bedroom, ignoring her protests and kicks. She told the court, 'No, no - it's not going to happen,' but he went ahead, reported Associated Press.
The conviction echoes the verdict in Weinstein's original 2020 trial, which was overturned earlier in 2024 by New York's Court of Appeals. That retrial, now partly resolved, has reopened the legal battles that brought the #MeToo movement to global attention.
While Weinstein was found guilty in Haley's case, he was acquitted of another charge involving Kaja Sokola. Sokola, a former model and now psychologist, testified that Weinstein lured her to a hotel room in 2006 and assaulted her shortly before her 20th birthday.
As per Associated Press, Sokola said he undressed her while she pleaded, 'Please don't, please stop, I don't want this.' She added in court, 'My soul was removed from me.'
Sokola also testified about another alleged assault when she was just 16, but that incident was beyond the legal statute of limitations. The retrial ended in a mistrial on the third charge - a third-degree rape accusation made by Jessica Mann. The jury foreman refused to deliberate further.
Judge Curtis Farber declared a mistrial, with prosecutors confirming their intent to retry the charge. Mann later said, 'I would never lie about rape or use something so traumatic to hurt someone. I didn't speak up to ruin his life. He did that. I spoke because mine matters.'
Weinstein continues to deny all allegations of rape or assault. But his legal troubles are far from over.
He is already serving a 16-year prison sentence in California after being convicted in Los Angeles in 2022. That verdict is now under appeal. His lawyers claim he did not receive a fair trial and argue that his previous New York conviction, now overturned, prejudiced the jury.
The former mogul's downfall began in 2017 when over 80 women accused him of sexual misconduct. Investigations by The New York Times and The New Yorker revealed patterns of abuse and threats spanning decades. The revelations sparked the global #MeToo movement, shifting the culture in workplaces and courtrooms worldwide.
Q1: What was Harvey Weinstein convicted of in the retrial?
He was found guilty of one count of criminal sexual act for assaulting Miriam Haley in 2006.
Q2: Why did the judge declare a mistrial?
The jury foreman refused to deliberate on the third-degree rape charge involving Jessica Mann, prompting the mistrial.
Q3: Is Weinstein still in prison?
Yes. He is serving a 16-year sentence from a separate conviction in Los Angeles while facing a possible new trial in New York.