Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 15 years in prison

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced this Wednesday (September 23) to 15 years in prison New York because sexual assault first degree on former assistant Miriam Haley.

The prosecution asked for a sentence of 20 years in prison, while the defense proposed nine years.

During the sentencing, Miriam Haley read a statement about the impact the attack had on her life. She said Weinstein abused his power and position, which had a "devastating effect" on her life and sense of security. "What he did for me is a life sentence," Haley said.

Weinstein again denied the allegations in court. He apologized to "anyone he may have caused pain with his actions" and said he was not a perfect person but was "a man who made mistakes". He also denied being a violent man.

Earlier trials and the emergence of the #MeToo movement

Harvey Weinstein was arrested for the first time in 2018, after investigations were published in 2017 into accusations by several women that he had sexually harassed and assaulted them. The case became one of the key reasons for the emergence of the movement #MeToo, which encouraged women around the world to speak publicly about their experiences of sexual harassment and violence.

Photo: Dean Moses/amNewYork via AP, Pool

In 2020, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York after being found guilty of first-degree sexual assault against Miriam Haley and third-degree rape of Jessica Mann. That verdict was overturned in 2024, after which a new trial was ordered.

At a retrial in 2025, Weinstein was again found guilty in the case involving Haley. In the case of Jessica Mann's charges, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The prosecution subsequently dropped its intention to try Weinstein for a fourth time in the case involving Mann.

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