Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 15 years for sexual assault

Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced former Hollywood producer whose downfall ultimately contributed in fueling the #MeToo movement, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting a former television production assistant. The sentencing followed a legal odyssey spanning more than six years after Weinstein's original New York conviction was overturned and a retrial last year again found him guilty of a felony sex crime. 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. The victim addressed the court before sentencing, saying the assault had permanently affected her sense of safety. "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." Weinstein, who has repeatedly denied raping or sexually assaulting anyone, apologised in court for the pain Haley suffered while maintaining his innocence. "I do have remorse for her pain, but I have to reiterate my innocence," he told the judge from a wheelchair. 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. At his retrial last year, a jury again convicted Weinstein over the the assault concerning the current sentencing but acquitted him of a separate charge involving a third accuser. Jurors could not reach a verdict on the rape charge involving her. Prosecutors later dropped the rape charge after another retrial ended in a hung jury in May, clearing the way for Wednesday's sentencing. 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. Weinstein has used a wheelchair for several 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. He is also awaiting resentencing in a separate California rape case. A California appeals court upheld his 2022 conviction but overturned his 16-year sentence because the judge had considered the New York convictions later thrown out. Thtestified at both New York trials that Weinstein forcibly sexually assaulted her after she visited his Manhattan apartment in 2006. She said she had met Weinstein through a mutual connection while working as a production assistant on the reality television show "Project Runway."