Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the sexual assault of former television production assistant Miriam Haley, an attack that took place at his Manhattan apartment in 2006. The sentencing followed a retrial in New York County after his original conviction was overturned.
A jury convicted Weinstein in the case in March 2020. Haley delivered a victim impact statement to the court, saying Weinstein had abused his position of power and describing the lasting harm to her life as a “life sentence.”
Weinstein, 74, has already spent more than six years in custody as his case moved through the courts. He still faces charges in a separate rape case and denies all other allegations against him. His attorneys are expected to appeal the sentence, and Weinstein maintains that he never raped or sexually assaulted anyone.
Given his age and the length of the sentence, Weinstein is likely to remain incarcerated well into his 80s. He was seated in a wheelchair and was quickly moved out of the courtroom following the sentencing, while some of his accusers embraced and wiped away tears.
Weinstein was once one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood, an Oscar-winning producer behind films including “Shakespeare in Love,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Chocolat.” His career collapsed after sexual assault allegations surfaced in 2017, allegations that helped spark the #MeToo movement.
