Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced movie mogul, was sentenced in Manhattan to 15 years in prison on Wednesday. The sentencing is for sexually assaulting one-time TV production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and followed a legal odyssey spanning more than six years. His 2020 conviction was overturned by New York’s highest court. However, a second jury found Weinstein guilty again at a retrial last year.
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Harvey Weinstein Plans To Appeal Latest Sentence
Once among the most powerful figures in the entertainment industry, Harvey Weinstein was an Oscar-winning producer. His hits included ‘Shakespeare in Love,’ ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Chocolat.’ But his downfall came quickly after sexual assault allegations in 2017 set off the #MeToo movement.
Harvey Weinstein, who is 74, is expected to appeal and maintains that he never raped or sexually assaulted anyone. He is now likely to remain behind bars well into his 80s. Seated in a wheelchair, he was quickly moved out of the courtroom after the sentencing. Meanwhile, some of his accusers hugged and brushed away tears.
The victim, Miriam Haley, is now 49. She is a former entertainment producer now working in advertising. Haley said she met Harvey Weinstein through a mutual connection and worked briefly as a production assistant on ‘Project Runway.’ She said she accepted an invitation to visit Weinstein’s apartment and after chatting briefly, he lunged to kiss her, she testified. She said she rebuffed him. But he grabbed her, forcibly backed her into a bedroom and sexually assaulted her, ignoring her pleas to stop. She recalled Weinstein asking, “Don’t you think we’re much closer now?” after either the alleged assault or a subsequent occasion when she says she had unwanted, but not forced, sex with him. Haley also recalled telling him after the second encounter, “You know you can’t keep doing this.”
Weinstein & His Victim Both Spoke In Court
Harvey Weinstein faced up to 25 years in prison for sexually assaulting Miriam Haley at his Manhattan apartment in 2006. He has already served more than six years as his case cycled through the criminal justice system. Haley gave her account of the assault at two trials, and again addressed the court on Wednesday.
“Having been sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein has had a devastating effect on my life and sense of security that may never go away. Making the decision to speak up will have me looking over my shoulder for years to come,” Miriam Haley said.
“It’s a life sentence for me,” she added. Minutes later, Weinstein apologized while reiterating his innocence.
“Reflecting on all that has happened since 2017 has helped me recognize how my past conduct has negatively affected others. I live with many regrets and sincerely apologize to anyone I have affected with my actions,” he said.
Some of his accusers who were in court shook their heads while he spoke. Meanwhile, defense lawyer Jacob Kaplan wanted three more years on top of the six years Harvey Weinstein already served. Kaplan said a longer sentence would make it more likely that Weinstein dies in prison. Weinstein has been in the hospital six times since 2025, Kaplan said. He’s dealt with health obstacles like blood cancer, congestive heart failure, and kidney issues.
Judge, Victim & Her Lawyer Weigh In After Harvey’s Sentencing
Judge Curtis Farber said Harvey Weinstein was once a king in the movie industry, “but recognition for these achievements will pale in comparison to what you did.” He said Weinstein is now known as “a sexual predator, the literal face of the MeToo movement.”
Additionally, the judge said Weinstein treated women as “mere objects to be played with and discarded” and still hasn’t accepted responsibility, portraying himself as a victim during jailhouse interviews.
Miriam Haley afterward said she was happy with the sentence, while saying it’s clear that Weinstein has not acknowledged what he did. “I think he still feels entitled, and that’s part of the problem,” she said.
Miriam Haley’s lawyer, Gloria Allred, rejected any suggestion that Weinstein’s sentencing means the MeToo era is over. “Women are empowered in a way they have never been before,” she said.
Why Is Harvey Weinstein Being Sentenced A Second Time?
Weinstein was originally sentenced to 23 years in prison after a jury convicted him of assaulting Miriam Haley and raping an aspiring actress, Jessica Mann, in 2013. Tried for a second time last year, he was again convicted of a first-degree criminal sex act for assaulting Haley. She has also gone by the name Mimi Haleyi. In a messy split verdict, the jury acquitted him of forcibly performing oral sex on another woman, Kaja Sokola, and could not reach a verdict on a rape charge involving Mann.
After another retrial ended in a hung jury in May, Manhattan prosecutors dropped the rape charge rather than pursue a fourth trial. Mann had said she could not bear to testify again.
Harvey Weinstein is also awaiting resentencing in a separate rape case in Los Angeles. A California appeals court upheld the 2022 conviction. However, it overturned his original 16-year sentence because the judge had considered his New York convictions as an aggravating factor. Those NY convictions were later overturned.
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Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
