Opening statements start Wednesday in Harvey Weinstein's New York retrial on sex crime charges. The 73-year-old former movie producer faces accusations from three women - a TV production assistant, an aspiring actress, and an unnamed woman. Seven women and five men make up the jury that will decide his case. Weinstein has entered a not guilty plea to all charges.
A court threw out his previous New York conviction last April because the judge allowed testimony about uncharged allegations. Weinstein had been serving a 23-year prison term after his 2020 conviction. He also received a 16-year sentence for rape in California in 2022. The current trial will likely feature testimony from Jessica Mann and Miriam Haley, who testified in his first trial. A third woman claims Weinstein forced oral sex on her at a Manhattan hotel in 2006.
Weinstein suffers from several health problems, such as cancer and diabetes. His lawyers won approval for him to stay at Bellevue Hospital when not in court. They complained about poor medical care at Rikers Island prison. More than 100 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct. He must still serve his California sentence regardless of this trial's outcome.
His accusers' stories sparked the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse. Before these allegations, Weinstein ranked among Hollywood's most powerful figures. His company, Miramax, produced Oscar winners like Shakespeare in Love and Pulp Fiction. His films earned over 300 Oscar nominations and 81 wins. Several women also sued him and reached a $19 million settlement in 2020.
A court threw out his previous New York conviction last April because the judge allowed testimony about uncharged allegations. Weinstein had been serving a 23-year prison term after his 2020 conviction. He also received a 16-year sentence for rape in California in 2022. The current trial will likely feature testimony from Jessica Mann and Miriam Haley, who testified in his first trial. A third woman claims Weinstein forced oral sex on her at a Manhattan hotel in 2006.
Weinstein suffers from several health problems, such as cancer and diabetes. His lawyers won approval for him to stay at Bellevue Hospital when not in court. They complained about poor medical care at Rikers Island prison. More than 100 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct. He must still serve his California sentence regardless of this trial's outcome.
His accusers' stories sparked the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse. Before these allegations, Weinstein ranked among Hollywood's most powerful figures. His company, Miramax, produced Oscar winners like Shakespeare in Love and Pulp Fiction. His films earned over 300 Oscar nominations and 81 wins. Several women also sued him and reached a $19 million settlement in 2020.
