Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 15 years in New York

Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced in New York on Wednesday to 15 years in prison for a sexual assault against former production assistant Miriam Haley, following legal proceedings that have lasted eight years, AFP reports.

Manhattan prosecutors had announced in June that they would seek a 20-year prison sentence for the offence, which carried a maximum possible sentence of 25 years, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

The new sentence comes nearly a decade after the emergence of the #MeToo movement, a global phenomenon sparked by the Weinstein scandal.

Weinstein, the co-founder of Miramax, was first charged in New York in 2018. In 2020, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison following his conviction for sexually assaulting Haley in 2006 and for charges involving the rape of actress Jessica Mann in 2013.

A New York appeals court overturned that conviction in 2024 on procedural grounds, leading to further proceedings. In June 2025, Weinstein was again found guilty of sexually assaulting Haley.

“I am not a violent man. Please show some mercy,” the former producer told the court before Judge Curtis Farber imposed the new sentence. Weinstein, now 74, uses a wheelchair because of health problems.

“I offer my sincere apologies to anyone I may have hurt,” he added.

Haley told the court that she was already serving “a life sentence” because of the trauma caused by the sexual assault.

Weinstein continues to deny all allegations against him and has maintained in his testimony that his sexual relationships were consensual.

In June 2025, the producer of films including Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love was again convicted in connection with Haley, while he was acquitted of allegations involving a separate alleged sexual assault against Polish model Kaja Sokola.

California conviction remains

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the allegations made by actress Jessica Mann. During a third trial in May 2026, jurors remained divided over the case, and prosecutors, in agreement with Mann, subsequently abandoned the proceedings.

In a separate California case, an appeals court in June ordered a review of the 16-year prison sentence Weinstein is serving for the 2013 rape of model and actress Evgeniya Chernyshova in Los Angeles.

The court nevertheless upheld his conviction in that case.

Weinstein has been accused of harassment, sexual assault and rape by more than 80 women, including actresses Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd.

In October 2017, investigations published by The New York Times and The New Yorker detailed allegations that Weinstein had for years used his influence in the film industry to sexually harass and assault women.

The revelations triggered a global backlash and helped propel the #MeToo movement, which gave victims of sexual violence around the world a platform to speak publicly about their experiences.

Photo: Chat GPT