Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 15 years in prison in New York

MUMBAI: The Weinstein legal saga has reached another sentencing chapter, with the former Hollywood producer receiving 15 years in prison in New York after being convicted of a criminal sexual act against former production assistant Miriam Haley.

The sentence follows Weinstein’s 2025 retrial conviction over the 2006 assault allegation involving Haley. Prosecutors had sought 20 years, while his defence asked for nine years. The offence carries a maximum sentence of 25 years.

Weinstein, 74, addressed the court before sentencing, acknowledging that his past conduct had affected others while continuing to maintain his innocence in relation to Haley. Haley also spoke at the hearing, describing the experience of testifying twice and the lasting impact of the assault and subsequent legal proceedings.

The latest sentence is the result of a lengthy legal reversal. Weinstein was originally convicted in New York in 2020 of sexually assaulting Haley and raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann. He received a 23-year sentence, but New York’s highest court overturned that conviction in 2024 and ordered a new trial after finding that the original proceedings had been prejudiced by testimony concerning allegations that were not part of the charges.

At the 2025 retrial, a Manhattan jury again found Weinstein guilty of the criminal sexual act involving Haley. He was acquitted of a separate charge involving former model Kaja Sokola, while jurors could not reach a verdict on the rape allegation involving Mann. That charge subsequently ended in a mistrial before prosecutors dismissed it, clearing the way for Wednesday’s sentencing.

Weinstein has remained imprisoned since 2020 and is also serving a separate 16-year sentence from California following his 2022 rape conviction there. A California appeals court has ordered resentencing in that case, while Weinstein’s legal team continues to challenge the conviction.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Curtis Farber said Weinstein’s legacy in cinema was outweighed by the conduct for which he was convicted. Weinstein had been one of Hollywood’s most influential producers before sexual misconduct allegations against him became public in 2017 and helped fuel the global #MeToo movement.

Haley, who had worked as a production assistant on Project Runway, testified that Weinstein sexually assaulted her at his Manhattan apartment in 2006. She said she had considered abandoning the legal process several times but continued to testify despite what she described as the emotional toll, cross-examination and public attention.

The sentencing brings the latest New York proceedings to a close, but Weinstein’s wider legal battle is not over. His California case remains active, while the New York sentence keeps him behind bars following years of convictions, appeals, retrials and mistrials.