Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced film producer whose abuse scandal helped ignite Hollywood’s #MeToo movement, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting former production assistant Miriam Haley.
Weinstein, 74, forcibly performed oral sex on Ms Haley in 2006. She is among dozens of women who have accused the former producer of sexual misconduct.
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A New York court originally sentenced Weinstein to 23 years in prison in 2020. That conviction was overturned on appeal in 2024, but a jury found him guilty again in 2025 following a retrial.
Addressing a packed Manhattan courthouse, where Ms Haley was seated in the audience, Weinstein made a final appeal for leniency.
“I sincerely apologise to anyone I have hurt,” he added.
Prosecutors had asked the court to impose a 20-year sentence. Weinstein’s lawyers argued that a longer term would probably mean he would die behind bars.
Ms Haley told the court that the assault had left her with what she described as a “life sentence”, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder.
She said Weinstein had “abused his position of power” and that she “felt embarrassed that he thought I was so insignificant that he dared to do something like this.”
#MeToo movement
For years, Weinstein dominated Hollywood as a kingpin whose influence could determine the fate of films and careers.
That power began to collapse after investigations by The New Yorker and The New York Times revealed a pattern of abusive behavior, triggering a wave of accusations from more than 80 people.
Weinstein is also due to be resentenced in California over the 2013 rape and assault of an actress in a Los Angeles hotel room. In June, an appeals court upheld his conviction but set aside his 16-year prison sentence.
In a separate New York case, a judge declared a mistrial in May after jurors failed to reach a verdict on allegations that Weinstein sexually assaulted actor Jessica Mann.
It was the third time Ms Mann had testified against Weinstein. His 2020 conviction was overturned because of the mishandling of witnesses, while a 2025 retrial ended in a mistrial after a dispute in the jury room.
Prosecutors later said they would not seek a fourth trial in Ms Mann’s case.
Weinstein’s downfall was dramatic. Once firmly established at the summit of the entertainment business, he saw his career and reputation unravel after the first allegations became public.
The scandal grew into the global #MeToo movement, prompting a far-reaching reckoning across the entertainment industry and bringing scrutiny to men accused of using their power to exploit young women.
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