Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is set to return to court on Tuesday for what will be his third New York trial involving multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault. For more than two decades, Weinstein and his brother Bob Weinstein ran the production company Miramax, building a reputation for shaping awards season hits while also being known as a demanding figure in the industry. That image dramatically changed in 2017 during the #MeToo movement, when numerous women came forward accusing him of sexual misconduct.
As those allegations surfaced in major reports, Weinstein was fired from his company, expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and eventually charged criminally in 2018.
First Conviction and Prison Sentence
He was first convicted in 2020 and has been in prison since. Weinstein has consistently denied any illegal wrongdoing, maintaining that all encounters were consensual — although he has not taken the stand in his own defense during any of his trials.
In 2020, he was found guilty of third-degree rape and a first-degree criminal sexual act involving hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann and production assistant and producer Miriam Haley. He was acquitted on several other charges, including predatory sexual assault. Both Mann and Haley agreed to be publicly identified. Weinstein received a 23-year prison sentence in New York, which he began serving at Rikers Island, while also facing separate charges in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Case and Additional Sentence
In 2022, he was found guilty in the Los Angeles case and later sentenced to 16 years in prison. That sentence is expected to begin after he completes his New York term.
Appeals Court Overturns 2020 Conviction
In 2024, a New York appeals court overturned his 2020 conviction, citing “egregious errors” in how testimony was handled during the trial.
“No person accused of illegality may be judged on proof of uncharged crimes that serve only to establish the accused’s propensity for criminal behaviour,” the court wrote, referencing New York’s “Molineux Rule.”
Retrial, Hung Jury and Mistrial
At a retrial in 2025, the charges related to Haley were upheld, but the rape charge connected to Mann ended in a hung jury. The judge ultimately declared a mistrial after the jury foreperson refused to continue deliberations, alleging intimidation by another juror.
Testimonies from Accusers
Mann has testified that she had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with Weinstein, who was married at the time. She told jurors that during a 2013 incident in a Manhattan hotel room, she objected, saying, “I don’t want to do this.” She added that he continued making advances until she “just gave up.”
A third accuser, model-turned-psychotherapist Kaja Sokola, was introduced in the 2025 trial and also alleged sexual assault, though Weinstein was acquitted on that charge.
Third Trial Begins Amid New Evidence
When opening statements begin Tuesday, it will mark the third time Mann’s accusations are examined in court. Weinstein is appealing his Los Angeles conviction and is also expected to challenge the New York ruling involving Haley. That charge alone could result in up to 25 years in prison, though no sentencing date has been set. The retrial is expected to run for more than a month.
Jury selection began on April 14, but the case’s high profile posed challenges — more than 80 potential jurors asked to be excused during initial questioning about fairness and the trial’s expected length.
In an unexpected development, prosecutors said they had new evidence: an alleged comment Weinstein made to a court officer six years ago. According to Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Candace White, the officer reported that during Weinstein’s February 2020 conviction, he heard Weinstein say, “If you had seen these girls, you would have done the exact same thing.”
Defence Pushes Back
Weinstein’s legal team has asked Judge Curtis Farber to exclude the remark from the retrial. Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo dismissed it, saying, “This sounds far-fetched,” and argued that it surfaced too late to be credible. The legal team took over the case earlier this year after longtime attorney Arthur Aidala stepped aside to focus on appeals and civil matters.
Health Concerns and Current Condition
The rape charge in question is considered a lower-level felony, carrying a maximum sentence of four years — a term Weinstein, now 73, has already exceeded while in custody. Weinstein has also faced a range of health issues. Since 2020, he has spent time at Bellevue Hospital, been diagnosed with cancer, undergone emergency heart surgery, and now relies on a wheelchair. In January, he told the court that his “mental state is collapsing” while being held at Rikers Island.
