Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in Manhattan for sexually assaulting former television production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006.
The sentence marks the latest stage in the legal case against the former Hollywood producer, whose 2020 conviction was overturned by New York’s highest court before he was convicted again at a retrial last year.
Weinstein, 74, is expected to appeal and continues to maintain that he never raped or sexually assaulted anyone. He has already spent more than six years in custody and is now likely to remain behind bars well into his 80s.
Haley told the court that the assault had caused lasting damage to her life and her sense of security.
“Having been sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein has had a devastating effect on my life and sense of security that may never go away,” she said. “Making the decision to speak up will have me looking over my shoulder for years to come.”
“It’s a life sentence for me,” she added.
Weinstein apologised after Haley spoke, while repeating his denial of wrongdoing. “Reflecting on all that has happened since 2017 has helped me recognise how my past conduct has negatively affected others,” he said. “I live with many regrets and sincerely apologise to anyone I have affected with my actions.”
Some of Weinstein’s accusers shook their heads as he spoke. He was seated in a wheelchair and was quickly taken from the courtroom after the sentence was imposed, while some of the women in court embraced and wiped away tears.
Judge condemns Weinstein’s treatment of women
Judge Curtis Farber said Weinstein had once been a powerful figure in the film industry, but that his professional achievements would be overshadowed by his conduct.
The judge said Weinstein was now known as “a sexual predator, the literal face of the MeToo movement”. He accused him of treating women as “mere objects to be played with and discarded” and said he had continued to portray himself as a victim in interviews from jail.
Haley said she was satisfied with the sentence, but believed Weinstein had still not accepted responsibility. “I think he still feels entitled, and that’s part of the problem,” she said.
Her lawyer, Gloria Allred, rejected the idea that the sentencing marked the end of the MeToo era. “Women are empowered in a way they have never been before,” she said.
Why Harvey Weinstein was sentenced again
Weinstein was originally sentenced to 23 years after being convicted of assaulting Haley and raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013. His conviction was later overturned by New York’s highest court.
At last year’s retrial, he was found guilty of a first-degree criminal sex act involving Haley. He was acquitted of forcibly performing oral sex on another woman, Kaja Sokola, while jurors could not reach a verdict on the rape allegation involving Mann.
That charge was dropped after a further retrial ended with a hung jury in May. Prosecutors chose not to pursue a fourth trial after Mann said she could not face giving evidence again.
Weinstein’s defence had asked for a sentence of three further years, in addition to the time he has already served. His lawyer, Jacob Kaplan, said Weinstein had been hospitalised six times since 2025 and was suffering from blood cancer, congestive heart failure and kidney problems.
He is also awaiting resentencing in a separate rape case in Los Angeles. A California appeals court upheld that conviction but overturned his original 16-year sentence because the judge had taken his New York convictions into account.
Haley, now 49, worked briefly as a production assistant on the television programme Project Runway, which Weinstein produced. She told jurors that he invited her to his Manhattan apartment, where he lunged to kiss her before grabbing her, forcing her into a bedroom and sexually assaulting her despite her pleas to stop.
