Weinstein\u2019s sentencing for sexually assaulting one-time TV production assistant Miriam Haley followed a legal odyssey spanning more than six years. His 2020 conviction was overturned by New York\u2019s highest court. A second jury found Weinstein guilty again at a retrial last year.<\/p>\n
Once among the\u00a0most powerful figures<\/a>\u00a0in the entertainment industry, Weinstein was an Oscar-winning producer whose hits included \u201cShakespeare in Love,\u201d \u201cPulp Fiction\u201d and \u201cChocolat.\u201d But his\u00a0downfall came quickly<\/a>\u00a0after sexual assault allegations in 2017 set off the\u00a0#MeToo movement.<\/a><\/p>\n Weinstein, 74, is expected to appeal and maintains that he never raped or sexually assaulted anyone. He is now likely to remain behind bars well into his 80s. Seated in a wheelchair, he was quickly moved out of the courtroom after the sentencing, while some of his accusers hugged and brushed away tears.<\/p>\n Weinstein faced up to 25 years in prison for sexually assaulting Haley at his Manhattan apartment in 2006. He has already served more than six years as his case cycled through the criminal justice system. Haley gave her account of the assault at two trials, and again addressed the court Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving been sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein has had a devastating effect on my life and sense of security that may never go away. Making the decision to speak up will have me looking over my shoulder for years to come,\u201d Haley said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a life sentence for me,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Minutes later, Weinstein apologized while reiterating his innocence.<\/p>\n \u201cReflecting on all that has happened since 2017 has helped me recognize how my past conduct has negatively affected others. I live with many regrets and sincerely apologize to anyone I have affected with my actions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Some of his accusers who were in court shook their heads while he spoke.<\/p>\n Weinstein is the face of MeToo, judge says<\/p>\n Judge Curtis Farber said Weinstein was once a king in the movie industry, \u201cbut recognition for these achievements will pale in comparison to what you did.\u201d<\/p>\n He said Weinstein is now known as \u201ca sexual predator, the literal face of the MeToo movement.\u201d<\/p>\n The judge said Weinstein treated women as \u201cmere objects to be played with and discarded\u201d and still hasn\u2019t accepted responsibility, portraying himself as a victim during jailhouse interviews.<\/p>\n Haley afterward said she was happy with the sentence, while saying it\u2019s clear that Weinstein has not acknowledged what he did. \u201cI think he still feels entitled, and that\u2019s part of the problem,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Haley\u2019s lawyer, the famed victims\u2019 rights attorney\u00a0Gloria Allred<\/a>, rejected any suggestion that Weinstein\u2019s sentencing means the MeToo era is over.<\/p>\n \u201cWomen are empowered in a way they have never been before,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Why Weinstein is being sentenced a second time<\/p>\n Weinstein was originally sentenced to 23 years in prison after a jury convicted him of assaulting Haley and raping an aspiring actress, Jessica Mann, in 2013.<\/p>\n Tried for a second time last year, he was again convicted of a first-degree criminal sex act for assaulting Haley, who has also gone by the name Mimi Haleyi. In a messy split verdict, the jury acquitted him of forcibly performing oral sex on another woman, Kaja Sokola, and could not reach a verdict on a rape charge involving Mann.<\/p>\n After another retrial ended in a hung jury in May, Manhattan prosecutors dropped the rape charge rather than pursue a fourth trial after Mann said she\u00a0could not bear<\/a>\u00a0to testify again.<\/p>\n Weinstein\u2019s health issues pushed the defense to ask for leniency<\/p>\n Defense lawyer Jacob Kaplan wanted three more years on top of the six years Weinstein already served, saying a longer sentence would make it more likely that Weinstein dies in prison.<\/p>\n Weinstein has been\u00a0in the hospital<\/a>\u00a0six times since 2025, Kaplan said, while dealing with blood cancer, congestive heart failure, and kidney issues.<\/p>\n Weinstein is also awaiting resentencing in a separate\u00a0rape case in Los Angeles<\/a>. A California appeals court upheld the 2022 conviction but threw out his original 16-year sentence because the judge had considered his New York convictions \u2014 that were later thrown out \u2014 as an aggravating factor.<\/p>\n![\"Miriam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AP26266597739449.jpg\")
Miriam Haley, left, and her attorney Gloria Allred stand outside Manhattan Supreme Court after Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting Haley in 2006, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Michael Sisak)
\nWeinstein and his victim both spoke in court<\/p>\n