Harvey Weinstein convicted by jury of first-degree criminal sex

The formerly celebrated Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted by a jury in New York for a second time on one of numerous charges related to sex crimes allegations.

Weinstein had been previously convicted in New York in 2020, but that had been tossed out of court in 2025 on procedural grounds.

‘Any man who demeans and degrades women in such fashion needs to be condemned and held accountable, regardless of wealth or status.’

The jury convicted Weinstein on a charge of criminal sex act in the first degree over accusations from Miriam “Mimi” Haley, who said he assaulted her in 2006 at his apartment in SoHo. Haley was a young television producer at the time and testified that she had repeatedly told him no, but he continued to assault her.

“I was mortified; I was embarrassed, in disbelief,” she said after describing how he “just continued pushing, continued insisting, pushed me onto bed holding me down.”

The jury rejected a separate charge related to allegations from Kaja Sokola, a model who was 19 years old when Weinstein allegedly raped her at a hotel room in 2006. Deliberations will continue on Thursday over a charge from a third accuser.

Weinstein’s attorney characterized the accusers as “conniving” and “sophisticated” and said they were motivated by fame and money. The accusers had obtained substantial civil settlements from the allegations.

The first-degree criminal sex act charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years.

The open secret of Weinstein’s sexual assaults in Hollywood became a major impetus for the #MeToo movement against sexual coercion and abuse.

Critics have pointed to jokes made in public for many years that pointed to actors and actresses knowing about the allegations but not asking enough questions to expose the powerful movie producer.

RELATED: Producers Guild Board to expel Harvey Weinstein, create sexual harassment task force

Photo by Sylvain Gaboury/FilmMagic

In 2017, former President Barack Obama and his wife released a statement condemning Weinstein over the allegations and praising his accusers for their bravery, but they opted to not even mention the millions of dollars he had raised for Democratic campaigns.

“Any man who demeans and degrades women in such fashion needs to be condemned and held accountable, regardless of wealth or status,” the statement read.

“We should celebrate the courage of women who have come forward to tell these painful stories,” they added. “And we should work to build a culture — including by empowering our girls and teaching our boys decency and respect — so we can make such behavior less prevalent in the future.”

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