Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting former production assistant Miriam Haley in New York in 2006.
Gatekeepers News reports that the 74-year-old Weinstein was sentenced on Wednesday in a Manhattan court following his conviction at a retrial in 2025. His original 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence were overturned by New York’s highest court in 2024. (Investing.com)
Haley, who was present in court, told the judge that the assault had a lasting impact on her life.
She said her experience after the assault had been “already a life sentence” and described the lasting trauma and humiliation she had endured while pursuing justice.
Weinstein, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, appealed for leniency before the sentence was handed down.
“I am not a violent man, have some mercy,” he said.
He also expressed remorse, saying, “I sincerely apologize to anyone I have hurt.”
In a separate statement reported from the sentencing hearing, Weinstein said he had “many regrets” and apologised for his actions while maintaining his innocence. (Los Angeles Times)
Prosecutors had asked the court to impose a 20-year sentence, while Weinstein’s lawyers had argued for a shorter term.
Judge Curtis Farber, who handed down the sentence, said Weinstein had once been one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood but had destroyed his legacy through his actions.
“You had it all. Your legacy could have been cemented with greatness. But you threw it all away by assaulting Miriam Haley,” Farber said. (ABC News)
#MeToo movement
Weinstein was once a major force in Hollywood, producing acclaimed films including Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love.
His career collapsed after investigations published by The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2017 detailed allegations of sexual harassment and assault against him. More than 80 women subsequently came forward with allegations, helping propel the global #MeToo movement. (Al Jazeera)
Weinstein was first convicted in New York in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. However, the conviction was overturned in 2024 after New York’s highest court found that the trial judge had improperly allowed testimony concerning allegations that were not part of the charges being tried. (The Guardian)
He was subsequently retried and convicted in 2025 of a criminal sexual act involving Haley. A separate rape charge involving actor Jessica Mann resulted in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict, and prosecutors later decided not to pursue another trial on that charge. (The Guardian)
California case
Weinstein is also facing resentencing in California over a separate rape and sexual assault conviction.
A California appeals court upheld that conviction in June but vacated his 16-year prison sentence, paving the way for a new sentencing hearing. (The Guardian)
Weinstein has remained in custody since his arrest in 2018 and is expected to appeal the latest New York conviction and sentence. (Al Jazeera)
