Former Hollywood star producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Thursday, February 23, to sixteen years in prison in Los Angeles for the rape and sexual assault in 2013 of an Italian actress and model in a hotel in Beverly Hills.
The court announced that he will have to serve this sentence following that of twenty-three years of imprisonment decided after his conviction in New York in 2020 for similar facts and which he appealed. He risks ending his days behind bars.
The 70-year-old former Hollywood kingmaker also appealed his conviction Thursday in Los Angeles.
Appearing in a wheelchair, Harvey Weinstein begged for "leniency" from the judge. "Please don't sentence me to life in prison. I do not deserve it. There are so many things that are not normal in this case,” he said. “I maintain that I am innocent, I never raped or sexually assaulted [the complainant]. »
"I was a happy woman"
Earlier, the actress, whose identity has not been revealed, had asked Judge Lisa Lench for "the highest possible sentence" for Mr. Weinstein, claiming that his "selfish and disgusting acts" had " far-reaching consequences" on his life.
“Before that night, I was a happy, confident woman. I had self-esteem and valued my relationship with God,” she said. “I was excited about my future. Everything changed when [Mr. Weinstein] brutally assaulted me. No prison sentence is long enough to repair the harm. »
This second trial for the ex-producer, whose fall in 2017 freed the voices of many women and spawned the movement
The prosecution had portrayed Harvey Weinstein as an all-powerful ogre, a "predator" whose stranglehold and aura on Hollywood hampered any ability to speak up for his victims for fear of career repercussions. His lawyers have worked to cast doubt on the word of the four complainants, highlighting in particular the absence of forensic evidence to support their stories.
Divided verdict
The trial ended with a split verdict. Jurors found Mr. Weinstein guilty of all charges brought by the Italian actress, but spared him an even heavier sentence by acquitting him of charges of sexually assaulting a masseuse, and failing to reach a conclusion. decision in cases involving two other women.
After the criminal conviction of the ex-producer, the actress, recognized as a victim at the end of the trial, filed a complaint in early February in a Los Angeles court in order to obtain civil damages. Consulted by Agence France-Presse, this complaint does not specify the amount claimed.
In 2021, a civil agreement had awarded 17 million dollars (about 16 million euros) to several dozen women accusing the former producer, but this woman was not one of them.
Since the scandal surrounding Mr. Weinstein broke in 2017, nearly 90 women, including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rosanna Arquette, have accused him of harassment, sexual assault or rape. But the statute of limitations has been exceeded in many of these cases, some of which date back to 1977.
In addition to his legal setbacks in the United States, the ex-producer is also charged in the United Kingdom for sexual assaults which date back to 1996.
