Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in a New York state prison for rape charges tied to the case that ignited #MeToo.
- The Manhattan District Attorney sentenced former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein to 23 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree. Weinstein's trial began earlier this year, and the New York jury found him guilty on Feb. 24.
At the peak of his career, Weinstein was once so powerful he could significantly influence theresults at the Academy Awards. By 2017, however, actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Mira Sorvino, Ashley Judd, and Rose McGowan began to speak out about his pattern of sexual harassment and assault, resulting in his own production company firing him. By 2018, he faced charges in Manhattan, and he is currently facing charges in Los Angeles.
As reported by NBC News, Weinstein received three years for the rape of former actress Jessica Mann out of a maximum four years. He also received 20 years for the count of a criminal sexual act against Miriam Haley, which carried a potential sentence between five and 25 years. Before receiving nearly the maximum sentence, NBC News reports the former Hollywood mogul discussed his role in the #MeToo movement. During his five-minute speech, he said he thinks about “the thousands of men and women who are losing due process” and that he’s “worried about this country.” After the sentencing, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr.'s final statement turned the attention from Weinstein to his victims.
“We thank the court for imposing a sentence that puts sexual predators and abusive partners in all segments of society on notice,” said District Attorney Vance. “We thank the survivors for their remarkable statements today and indescribable courage over the last two years. Harvey Weinstein deployed nothing less than an army of spies to keep them silent. But they refused to be silent, and they were heard. Their words took down a predator and put him behind bars, and gave hope to survivors of sexual violence all across the world.”
The public attention on Weinstein’s behavior - and the systematic power imbalances they represent - has disrupted Hollywood in the past three years since the initial New York Timesexposé about Weinstein was published in October 2017. That original piece was followed by others not only on Weinstein by various other men and the accusations of sexual misconduct leveled against them. In the wake of those articles, certain subjects have faced consequences - like Kevin Spacey's high profile firings from House of Cards and All the Money in the World.
Further, powerful figures in Hollywood banded together to create the Time's Up organization in direct response to the #MeToo movement. Not only has the #MeToo movement begun to affect people behind the scenes in the industry, it has influenced the topics we see onscreen. The narrative of justice for the victims in the New York Weinstein trial may be one that we see in more film and television cases to come (and hopefully, in other real-life cases of predators).
Source: NBC News/Manhattan D.A.
