Harvey Weinstein used Hollywood clout to abuse women, prosecutor tells jury

A prosecutor urged a Manhattan jury on Tuesday to convict Harvey Weinstein. She said the evidence shows he used his power to trap and abuse women.

Lawyers for both sides delivered closing statements. The jury will soon begin deliberations. Weinstein's lawyer accused the three alleged victims of lying. He claimed they were upset after consensual encounters did not lead to stardom.

Prosecutor Nicole Blumberg called Weinstein a serial predator. She said he promised career advancement but then attacked women in private settings. Weinstein has denied any non-consensual sex and pleaded not guilty.

Blumberg stated, "The defendant used his power to create award-winning movies." She added that he also used it to isolate and abuse women.

Weinstein, 73, is on trial again after an appeals court overturned his conviction in April 2024. He appeared in court in a wheelchair, wearing a dark suit and tie due to health issues.

He faces charges of raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013. He is also accused of assaulting two other women in 2006 and 2002. The trial began in April.

Defense attorney Arthur Aidala pointed out inconsistencies in the women's testimonies. He claimed email evidence undermined their claims against Weinstein.

"They are lying about what happened," Aidala said about the accusers. He displayed poster-sized printouts of emails between Weinstein and them, arguing they showed consent.

Mann testified that Weinstein raped her in a hotel room. If convicted on all charges, he could face up to 29 years in prison. However, he is likely to spend life behind bars due to a separate 16-year sentence for rape in California.

Weinstein was previously convicted by a jury in February 2020 for rape, but that conviction was overturned due to errors by the trial judge. At that time, he was serving a 23-year sentence at a prison upstate New York.

This conviction was significant for the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to report sexual misconduct by powerful men.

Since his conviction was overturned, Weinstein has been held at Rikers Island jail. He has faced several health scares while there and underwent emergency heart surgery last September.

In the first trial, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accused Weinstein of assaulting production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and raping Mann in 2013—charges on which he was convicted. For this retrial, prosecutors added new charges involving Kaja Sokola from Poland, who alleges she was assaulted by him in Manhattan in 2002.

Over 100 women have accused Weinstein of misconduct, including many famous actresses. He continues to deny all allegations of assault or non-consensual sex.

Miramax Studios produced many hit films like "Shakespeare in Love" and "Pulp Fiction." However, Weinstein's own film studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018 after sexual misconduct accusations became public.