Harvey Weinstein’s retrial begins in New York on rape and assault charges

Harvey Weinstein faces a new rape and sexual assault trial in New York, nearly a year after his 2020 conviction was overturned, marking a key test of progress in the post-#MeToo era.

Harvey Weinstein’s retrial on charges of rape and sexual assault began on Wednesday in Manhattan, nearly a year after New York’s highest court overturned his 2020 conviction. The 73-year-old, who arrived in a wheelchair wearing a dark suit and navy tie, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual act and one count of third-degree rape.

Weinstein’s previous conviction was widely seen as a landmark moment for the #MeToo movement, as over 100 women—including well-known actresses—had come forward with allegations of misconduct. The former Hollywood producer and Miramax studio co-founder has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.

The new trial, overseen by state Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber, is expected to last around six weeks. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg attended the opening day of the proceedings.

“We're hoping that Mr. Weinstein is going to get a fair trial this time,” said his attorney Imran Ansari. “He wants to clear his name.”

In 2020, a separate jury found Weinstein guilty of raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and of sexually assaulting former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. However, the New York Court of Appeals ruled in April 2024 that the trial judge had erred by allowing testimony from additional women whose claims were not part of the formal charges, prompting the retrial.

The prosecution has now added a new charge, accusing Weinstein of assaulting an unidentified woman in Manhattan in 2006, in addition to the charges involving Haley and Mann.

Even if acquitted in New York, Weinstein is expected to remain imprisoned, having been sentenced to 16 years for sex crimes in California.

Weinstein's lawyers are petitioning the court to allow him to stay at Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital throughout the trial, citing inadequate medical care at Rikers Island jail and his recent emergency heart surgery.

Lindsay Goldbrum, representing the new accuser, said the case is a critical moment in the broader fight against sexual violence. “More than seven years after #MeToo, this case will test how far we’ve advanced in our collective understanding of sexual assault, power dynamics, and what it means to be a survivor,” she stated.

Weinstein’s downfall has also left lasting effects on his former film empire. His production studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018, months after the allegations became public.

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