Once-powerful Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein, who was convicted of rape in a landmark #MeToo trial, was sentenced to 23 years in prison Wednesday after he remained defiant during sentencing.
The sentencing was a landmark for the #MeToo movement, which sparked a worldwide reckoning on sexual assault and harassment more than two years ago. .
Weinstein, a once-celebrated Hollywood producer, said ahead of his sentencing that he was worried about the movement’s implication for men and due process.
A jury convicted Weinstein last month of third-degree rape of Jessica Mann, a former aspiring actress, and a count of criminal sexual act in the first degree against Mimi Haley, a former “Project Runway” production assistant.
Weinstein spoke ahead of his sentencing and addressed his role in the #MeToo movement, saying he believed “thousands of men are losing due process” and he was worried about the country.
He said he had “no great powers” in the industry and couldn’t “blackball anyone.” He said he believed he had legitimate relationships with his accusers.
Mann said Weinstein “used his power over the powerless” and her experience was “a recurring nightmare.” She asked for him to receive the maximum sentence, calling it accountability for him.
Weinstein still faces further criminal charges, for rape and sexual assault, in Los Angeles.
