Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan Supreme Court to be sentenced for sexual assault
Weinstein, 74, was convicted of first-degree criminal sex act for sexually assault at his Manhattan apartment in 2006. The charge carried a maximum sentence of 25 years. Weinstein’s case became a defining moment in the #MeToo movement after numerous women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017. He was arrested in 2018 and has continued to deny the allegations.
Weinstein was originally sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2020 after being convicted of assaulting this victim and raping another aspiring actress in 2013. But New York’s highest court overturned those convictions in 2024, ruling that Weinstein had been prejudiced by testimony from women whose allegations were not part of the case. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence, while Weinstein’s lawyer Jacob Kaplan asked for three additional years on top of the more than six years he has already spent in custody. Kaplan cited Weinstein’s deteriorating health, saying he had been hospitalised six times since 2025 and was suffering from blood cancer, congestive heart failure and kidney problems.
“Having been sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein has had a devastating effect on my life and sense of security that may never go away,” she said, adding, “It’s a life sentence for me. “I do have remorse for her pain, but I have to reiterate my innocence,” he told the judge from a wheelchair. The victim addressed the court before sentencing, saying the assault had permanently affected her sense of safety. Weinstein, who has repeatedly denied raping or sexually assaulting anyone, apologised in court for the pain Haley suffered while maintaining his innocence. Weinstein has used a wheelchair for several years.
Because the judge had considered the New York convictions later thrown out, a California appeals court upheld his 2022 conviction but overturned his 16-year sentence. He is also awaiting resentencing in a separate California rape case.