(New York, NY) – Former Hollywood megaproducer Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty on some counts in his sex crimes retrial in New York City. A jury found him guilty of engaging in a criminal sexual act with one woman, while he was acquitted on a similar charge — involving a different woman.
Meanwhile, the jury was unable to come to a verdict on a third count — alleging that Weinstein raped a woman. The judge ordered the jury to continue deliberating on that count later this week. And so, a sixth day of deliberations will begin Thursday, June 12.
This trial was necessary because Weinstein’s 2020 conviction was tossed due to improper witness testimony. The New York Court of Appeals ruled that a judge improperly allowed a woman to testify even though the alleged crimes against her were past their statute of limitations. Weinstein remains a convicted felon on sex crimes charges in Los Angeles.
It all represents a stunning fall from grace for Weinstein, who was atop the movie landscape for years as a producer — via his company Miramax. Weinstein and his brother Bob Weinstein founded the company in 1979. Having attended the University of Buffalo, Weinstein and his partners began the company there in Western New York.
During the height of the MeToo era, new allegations emerged against Weinstein alleging he had misused his power and influence within Hollywood for sexually harass or assault women. He countered by claiming the relationships were consensual. But for years rumors had swirled around him alleging improper conduct — and the use of the so-called “casting couch,” in which he purportedly coerced women into sexual activity with the promise of roles in his films.
Weinstein recently appeared on Sid and Friends in the Morning, calling in from the the jailhouse to do so. He denied he ever committed criminal activity, telling Sid Rosenberg that he was immoral and threw his life away by cheating on his wife — but he stopped short of admitting anything further.
