A New York jury has found former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein guilty of rape in the third degree and criminal sexual acts in the first degree, ending a trial that acted as the kickstarter of the #MeToo movement. During the seven-week trial, the Manhattan court heard testimony from six accusers, but four of those accusers’ cases were outside the statute of limitations in New York. Instead, the court used the testimonies from other accusers to provide a pattern of behavior for the prosecution’s case.
Weinstein was once a titan in Hollywood. With the production company Miramax, he and his brother Bob Weinstein produced several critically successful films, including the Academy Award-winning films The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love, and Chicago. Weinstein had a famously aggressive campaign style for the Oscars, which resulted both in several Best Picture wins and Best Actress wins for Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman, and Gwyneth Paltrow. In 2017, actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Mira Sorvino, Ashley Judd, and Rose McGowan spoke out about their experiences of sexual harassment and assault from the producer. Weinstein has now had dozens of accusers speak out against him, sparking the #MeToo hashtag to trend online and initiating a movement of victims to challenge the structure of sexually abusive people in powerful positions. Weinstein was fired by his own production company, and by 2018, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. brought formal charges against Weinstein.
Reports of the jury’s verdict came through on Feb. 24, according to Deadline. The third-degree rape of former aspiring actress Jessica Mann has a maximum sentence of four years, while the first-degree criminal sexual act on production assistant Miriam Haley carries a sentence between five and 25 years. The court found Weinstein not guilty of the two most serious counts of predatory sex assault, which could have faced a possible life sentence.
Besides news articles and trending social media topics, the accusations against Weinstein have inspired other media, including documentaries on Hulu and PBS and even an upcoming Weinstein movie. Many actors, filmmakers, and other Hollywood heavyweights who had worked with Weinstein have been forced to publicly address their reactions to Weinstein, while others are using their films to address the controversy with subtle thematic elements. Weinstein’s case may have arguably even inspired this season’s film awards contender Bombshell, based on ousted Fox News CEO Roger Ailes and the allegations of sexual harassment against him.
Many victims of #MeToo, whether directly tied to Weinstein or not, have been watching this case as a bellwether of justice for sexual harassment in Hollywood. Weinstein was once a man so influential that he could almost single-handedly control the Oscars results, and these accusations have shined a light on the way powerful people use their status to exploit their victims. As the New York case wraps up and the Los Angeles trial continues, many will be eager to see vindication for the accusers courageous enough to step forward.
Next: Harvey Weinstein & Accusers Reach $44 Million Settlement
Source: Deadline
