Harvey Weinstein convicted of sex crime in tense jury trial

NEW YORK, June 11, 2025 — A Manhattan jury has found Harvey Weinstein guilty of one of the sex crimes against him. However, a final verdict has not yet been reached on all the charges against the former Hollywood producer, and the trial continues in a tense atmosphere, with arguments and threats among jurors.

Weinstein, 73, once one of the most powerful figures in the film industry, is on trial again in the case after a state appeals court overturned his 2020 conviction last year. Prosecutors have charged him with raping a young actress and sexually assaulting two other women. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied any non-consensual sex.

The jury found him guilty on one of three counts — for assaulting Miriam Haley, a former production assistant, in 2006. He was acquitted of the charge of molesting Kaja Sokola in 2002, when she was 16. A decision on the third charge, the 2013 rape of Jessica Mann, has been postponed and is scheduled to continue on Thursday.

On the fifth day of tense jury deliberations, before announcing the partial verdict, Judge Curtis Farber held a private meeting with a juror known as “Juror One” and then announced in open court that there had been “a fight and a scuffle” in the jury room.

“Juror One made it clear that he was not going to change his mind,” the judge said, adding, “He also indicated that another juror had said, ‘I’ll see you out there one day,’ and that there had been a verbal altercation and shouting.”

Weinstein’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, filed a motion for a mistrial following the events. As the judge prepared to adjourn and give the jury a chance to “calm down,” they sent out a memo announcing that they had reached a verdict on some charges.

The trial began on April 23. Weinstein, who has multiple physical disabilities, appeared in a wheelchair during the hearings.

In closing arguments on June 3, prosecutors emphasized how the evidence showed how Weinstein abused his power and influence to deceive and harass women. Defense attorneys, in contrast, claimed that the accusers had lied out of anger and revenge because their consensual relationships with Weinstein did not lead to success in Hollywood.

A turning point in the #MeToo movement

In 2020, a jury found Weinstein guilty of raping Jessica Mann and harassing Miriam Haley. (The charges against Kaja Sokola were not raised in that case.)

The conviction was a turning point in the #MeToo movement; A movement that encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by powerful men. But the New York Supreme Court overturned that ruling in April 2024 because the judge at the time had allowed women to testify in court about unsubstantiated allegations.

However, Weinstein remains in prison after being convicted in a California court in 2022 of rape. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in that case and is currently appealing that sentence.

More than 100 women, including famous actresses, have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office described Weinstein in court as a "serial predator" who lured women to private places and harassed them with the promise of career advancement. His legal team has denied the allegations, saying his relationships with the women were "mutual and beneficial" and that he even offered them auditions and jobs.

Harvey Weinstein was the founder of the Miramax film studio and the producer of blockbusters like “Shakespeare in Love” and “Pulp Fiction.” His film studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018 after allegations against him were made public in 2017.

While in prison, Weinstein suffered from multiple medical problems and was hospitalized in September for heart problems.

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