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Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction overturned in bombshell ‘Me Too’ ruling as disgraced producer could face re-trial
Watch Weinstein's attorney rip into the decision before it was overturned
A NEW York court has overturned a 2020 decision that found disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein guilty of rape in a shocking reversal.
Weinstein, 72, was at the center of a media firestorm after numerous women accused him of sexual assault, kicking off the #MeToo era.
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On Thursday, the New York Court of Appeals ruled Weinstein didn't receive a fair trial in a stunning 4-3 decision.
The majority said the judgment had to be thrown out because prosecutors called multiple women as witnesses who fired off accusations at Weinstein that had nothing to do with his charges.
The testimonies "destroyed" Weinstein's past character, and the "egregious" improper rulings were "an abuse of judicial discretion," the judges said.
The bombshell decision has sparked concern over whether more high-profile sexual assault cases will be appealed - especially after actor Bill Cosby saw a similar #MeToo era reversal in 2021.
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Defiant New York Judge Madeline Singas slammed Thursday's decision and said there was a "disturbing trend of overturning juries' guilty verdicts in cases involving sexual violence."
Despite the jaw-dropping overturning, Weinstein, who has been serving the now-defunct 23-year sentence in a New York prison, will remain behind bars.
This is because a Los Angeles court convicted him of barging into a Beverly Hills hotel room and raping an Italian model in 2022, and sentenced him to 16 years of prison.
It's unclear whether Manhattan district attorney Alvin L. Bragg, who is working the historic trial against former President Donald Trump, will decide to seek a retrial of Weinstein.
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However, a spokesperson for his office they will "do everything in our power" to bring him back to court.
Meanwhile, Weinstein's representatives said they were "thrilled" by the decision and are looking to repeat the process in Los Angeles, Inside Edition Digital reported.
His lawyer Jennifer Bonjean said Weinstein will appeal the California conviction on May 20 and that jurors were "overwhelmed with this bad character that was not legitimate."
"That tainted the whole trial in California from our perspective," she told Agence France-Presse.
Harvey Weinstein begs for mercy as disgraced movie mogul is sentenced to 16 more years on rape charge
DISTURBING ALLEGATIONS
More than 100 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct since a bombshell report put him at the center of controversy and vitriol.
The New York Times broke the first story in October 2017 which detailed decades of sick abuse allegedly suffered by budding actresses like Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd.
Women claimed Weinstein took advantage of young hopefuls with promises of success before sexually abusing them in a twisted scheme.
Days after the Times story was published, Weinstein was fired from his own production company, and more women came forward with harrowing tales of alleged abuse.
His case opened up a sea of firings in the entertainment industry after allegations against media executives and personalities spilled out.
The mass dismissals and cancellations sometimes sparked criticism as onlookers wondered whether the accusations were being properly investigated.
SHOCK TRIAL
Weinstein was first arrested in May 2018 in New York after he was indicted for the alleged assault of actress Jessica Mann in 2013.
During the trial, Mann, who was in a five-year relationship with Weinstein, gave a raw testimony where she detailed each assault she allegedly suffered at his hands.
She depicted Weinstein as a monster with "deformed" genitals that made him look "intersex," and said he had a blackhead-covered back, and extreme scarring which made his skin feel rough.
Will Weinstein stay in prison?
On Thursday, the New York Court of Appeals decided Weinstein didn't receive a fair trial in a stunning 4-3 decision.
This overturned a 2020 rape conviction that sentenced Weinstein to 23 years in prison.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney said their office "will do everything in our power to retry" Weinstein.
Weinstein is currently serving out his sentence in an upstate New York prison.
However, he won't be free any time soon.
This is because he was also found guilty of rape by a Los Angeles court in 2022 and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
She added in the sensational trial that Weinstein had a body odor that made him "smell like poop."
However, she also admitted the two had some consensual sex, which can make rape harder to prove.
"Rape is not just one moment of penetration," she told the court at the time.
"It is forever."
On February 24, 2020, the jury consisting of seven women and six men found Weinstein guilty of third-degree rape and criminal sexual assault.
Though he was acquitted of the two most serious charges - first-degree rape and predatory sexual assault.
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ACCUSERS SPEAK OUT
Weinstein's accusers have voiced their shock and frustration at Thursday's decision.
One of the devastated women was actress Katherin Kendall, who previously accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct in 2017.
Katherine Kendall claimed at the time that Weinstein invited her to his apartment after they attended a screening together in 1993.
Weinstein allegedly asked her to come inside so he could grab something, only to go into his bathroom and walk out completely naked, according to the actress.
Accusers could take the stand again
High-profile attorney Gloria Allred said her former client Mimi Haley could take the stand again should Weinstein face a new trial.
In a statement exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun, Allred, who represented Haley during Weinstein's 2020 trial, ripped into Thursday's decision.
"Even though the process of testifying was grueling and retraumatizing for Mimi, she reaffirmed to me today that she would consider testifying again if District Attorney Alvin Bragg decided to proceed with a new trial of Harvey Weinstein," Allred said.
"I commend Mimi on her courage and willingness to keep standing up for the truth."
The renowned attorney blasted Thursday's ruling, saying, "The decision of the New York Court of Appeals today is a significant step backwards for the 'Me Too' movement in criminal cases in New York.
"The decision means that it will be more difficult to convict those who victimize women and prey on them.
"As a result, fewer prosecutions will be brought against sexual predators and many will escape the justice that they deserve.
"Although victims have lost this battle they have not lost the war.
"We will continue to fight for justice for victims both in criminal and civil cases until there is a fair trial not just for the accused but also for those who allege that they are victims of sexual predators."
Kendall said escaping the alleged horror situation was like a sick game of "cat and mouse."
On Thursday, the actress said the decision was a "terrible reminder that victims of sexual assault just don't get justice."
"I'm completely let down by the justice system right now. I'm sort of flabbergasted," she told reporters.
Judd, the first actress to come forward with allegations against Weinstein, also shared her reaction to the news.
"That is unfair to survivors," she told the Times.
"We still live in our truth. And we know what happened."
Weinstein had pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence throughout his trials.
He also denies ever having nonconsensual sex.
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The Hollywood executive is still fighting allegations, as English-born actress Julia Ormond filed a lawsuit in October 2023 claiming Weinstein sexually assaulted her in December 1995.
With the Los Angeles court decision, Weinstein will likely serve the rest of his life in prison.
How Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement
In October 2017, The New York Times published a bombshell article where numerous actresses alleged abuse at the hands of Harvey Weinstein.
Soon after, the actress Alyssa Milano asked women who have been sexually assaulted or harassed to share the words "Me Too" on social media.
The request quickly became a movement - with actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lawrence, and Uma Thurman all sharing their harrowing stories.
It was later revealed that "Me Too" was first used by activity Tarana Burke in 2006 to describe her sexual assault.
The media firestorm led to many media executives losing their positions, alongside backlash over whether the accusations were being properly investigated.
Weinstein remained at the center of it all and was one of the few who was hit with criminal charges.
A top executive who produced films like Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love, and The Lord of the Rings, activist felt he was the perfect representation of how power and influence could be used for evil.