Latest news with ##MeToo
The Journal
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Journal
Judge declares mistrial in outstanding charge against Harvey Weinstein amid jury room feud
THE JUDGE IN the Harvey Weinstein sex crimes retrial has declared a mistrial on one outstanding rape charge against the disgraced Hollywood producer. The foreperson of the jury refused to return to deliberate the count amid a jury room feud. 'Deliberations became heated to such a degree I am obligated to declare a mistrial on the one count on which you didn't reach a verdict,' judge Curtis Farber told the court. Weinstein's initial conviction, five years ago, seemed to cement the downfall of one of Hollywood's most powerful men in a pivotal moment for the #MeToo movement. That conviction, however, was overturned last year and the case was sent back for retrial in the same Manhattan courthouse. Weinstein, 73, denies sexually assaulting or raping anyone. Advertisement Weinstein was yesterday found guilty of one count of sexual assault against one woman, but was acquitted of the same offence against a different woman in the retrial. Jurors yesterday were unable to reach a verdict on a third charge. The majority-female jury teetered on Wednesday as the male foreperson requested to speak to the judge about 'a situation' he found troubling. He previously complained on Monday that other jurors were pushing people to change their minds. He also claimed that his fellow jurors had been talking about information beyond the charges, was being questioned in private. While the jury was in court to hear the answer to an earlier request to re-hear the text of a rape law, the foreperson signalled to Judge Curtis Farber that he wanted to talk. 'He said words to the effect of, 'I can't go back in there with the other jurors',' Judge Farber explained later. This is a breaking story with more information to follow.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein's retrial verdict is a measured #MeToo victory during the backlash era
– Verdict's in. In an era of #MeToo backlash, with hyper-masculinity ruling from Washington, D.C. to Silicon Valley, the retrial of Harvey Weinstein could serve as a kind of litmus test—would his guilty verdict hold up in 2025? Yesterday, a jury found the former Hollywood producer and convicted sexual predator guilty on the top charge he faced in New York—but acquitted him of the second and failed to reach a verdict on the third. Three women—former production assistant Miriam Haley, former model Kaja Sokola, and Jessica Mann, who aspired to become an actress—brought claims forward against Weinstein. These weren't the most headline-grabbing of Weinstein's dozens of reported offenses—no celebrities involved—but they were what ultimately brought him to justice in 2020 (as did a trial in Los Angeles, which Weinstein is appealing). Weinstein's attorneys were counting on the vastly different cultural moment we are in to protect the ex-mogul. As the New York Times put it, his lawyers bet that the '#MeToo movement had waned enough to cast doubt on the motives and credibility of his accusers.' Attorney Arthur Aidala previously said that the women who accused Weinstein were 'were trying to take advantage of [him]'—because of the impact of the #MeToo movement. Weinstein has continued to deny the allegations against him. While accusations against Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement, they weren't its sum-total. The movement led to the passage of the Adult Survivors Act, which allowed victims of years-old abuse to come forward—including musician Cassie, leading to Diddy's ongoing trial today. The jury is expected to return today to deliberate on the third charge. Whatever the outcome, #MeToo is bigger than Weinstein—but the movement can still count his partial verdict as a measured victory during a hostile political moment. Emma The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune's daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Today's edition was curated by Nina Ajemian. Subscribe here. This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
New York jury convicts Harvey Weinstein of top charge in #MeToo sex crimes retrial
Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted on Wednesday of one of the top charges in his sex crimes retrial but acquitted of another. Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on a third charge. The split verdict was a measure of vindication for his accusers and prosecutors, but also to Weinstein after the landmark case was thrown into limbo. Weinstein's initial conviction five years ago seemed to cement the downfall of one of Hollywood's most powerful men in a pivotal moment for the #MeToo movement. But that conviction was overturned last year and the case was sent back for retrial in the same Manhattan courthouse. This time, a majority-female jury convicted the former studio boss of forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley to a criminal sex act in 2006. But jurors acquitted Weinstein of another criminal sex act charge against Kaja Sokola the same year. And jurors were to continue deliberating on a charge that he raped another woman in 2013. Under New York law, the third-degree rape charge carries a lesser penalty than the first-degree criminal sex act offence. Weinstein, 73, denies sexually assaulting or raping anyone. Jury deliberations had teetered on Wednesday as the foreperson again requested to speak to the judge about "a situation" he found troubling. The man, who complained on Monday that other jurors were pushing people to change their minds and talking about information beyond the charges, was being questioned in private, at his request. While the jury was in court to hear the answer to an earlier request to re-hear the text of a rape law, the foreperson signalled to Judge Curtis Farber that he wanted to talk. "He said words to the effect of 'I can't go back in there with the other jurors,'" Farber explained later. The foreperson was sent to wait in a separate room, where he penned a note saying, "I need to talk to you about a situation." When briefly brought into court, the foreperson said he wanted to speak in private. He, the judge, prosecutors and Weinstein's lawyers then went behind closed doors. The discussion was closed to the press and public, but Farber later said the foreperson had expressed that he didn't want to change his position and was being bullied. "He did indicate that at least one other juror made comments to the effect of 'I'll meet you outside one day,' and there's yelling and screaming," the judge said. Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala characterised the foreperson's concerns more severely, saying that the man had said he was concerned for his safety after his fellow panellist talked about meeting him outside. "I don't think the court is protecting this juror. Period," Aidala said, going on to ask for a mistrial. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, however, said the foreperson hadn't seemed afraid or apprehensive, just "stubborn." "He said he'd made up his mind, he didn't want to change it, and people were pressuring him to change it. That's what jury deliberations involve," the prosecutor said. The episode was the latest sign of strain among the jurors. On Friday, one of them asked to be excused because he felt another member of the group was being treated unfairly. Weinstein's lawyers asked unsuccessfully for a mistrial then and again after the foreperson expressed his concerns on Monday. The jury kept deliberating and went through Tuesday without sending any more messages about interpersonal tensions. The seven female and five male jurors started their fifth day of deliberations on Wednesday by re-hearing accuser Jessica Mann's testimony that he raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. The group wrapped up Tuesday's deliberations by asking to revisit that testimony. Some jurors appeared to take fresh notes on Wednesday, while others sat impassively as court stenographers read aloud the requested parts of Mann's days-long testimony. The jury had already reheard some of the passages last week. Weinstein pleaded not guilty to raping Mann and to forcing oral sex on two other women, Mimi Haley and Kaja Sokola. The Oscar-winning producer and former Hollywood powerbroker maintains that he never sexually assaulted or raped anyone while his lawyers portrayed his accusers as opportunists who accepted his advances because they wanted to advance their careers in the entertainment world.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Jury convicts Harvey Weinstein of top charge in split verdict at #MeToo sex crimes retrial
Jury convicts Harvey Weinstein of top charge in split verdict at #MeToo sex crimes retrial
Euronews
11-06-2025
- Euronews
NY jury convicts Harvey Weinstein of top charge in sex crimes retrial
Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted on Wednesday of one of the top charges in his sex crimes retrial but acquitted of another. Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on a third charge. The split verdict was a measure of vindication for his accusers and prosecutors, but also to Weinstein after the landmark case was thrown into limbo. Weinstein's initial conviction five years ago seemed to cement the downfall of one of Hollywood's most powerful men in a pivotal moment for the #MeToo movement. But that conviction was overturned last year and the case was sent back for retrial in the same Manhattan courthouse. This time, a majority-female jury convicted the former studio boss of forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley to a criminal sex act in 2006. But jurors acquitted Weinstein of another criminal sex act charge against Kaja Sokola the same year. And jurors were to continue deliberating on a charge that he raped another woman in 2013. Under New York law, the third-degree rape charge carries a lesser penalty than the first-degree criminal sex act offence. Weinstein, 73, denies sexually assaulting or raping anyone. Jury deliberations had teetered on Wednesday as the foreperson again requested to speak to the judge about "a situation" he found troubling. The man, who complained on Monday that other jurors were pushing people to change their minds and talking about information beyond the charges, was being questioned in private, at his request. While the jury was in court to hear the answer to an earlier request to re-hear the text of a rape law, the foreperson signalled to Judge Curtis Farber that he wanted to talk. "He said words to the effect of 'I can't go back in there with the other jurors,'" Farber explained later. The foreperson was sent to wait in a separate room, where he penned a note saying, "I need to talk to you about a situation." When briefly brought into court, the foreperson said he wanted to speak in private. He, the judge, prosecutors and Weinstein's lawyers then went behind closed doors. The discussion was closed to the press and public, but Farber later said the foreperson had expressed that he didn't want to change his position and was being bullied. "He did indicate that at least one other juror made comments to the effect of 'I'll meet you outside one day,' and there's yelling and screaming," the judge said. Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala characterised the foreperson's concerns more severely, saying that the man had said he was concerned for his safety after his fellow panellist talked about meeting him outside. "I don't think the court is protecting this juror. Period," Aidala said, going on to ask for a mistrial. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, however, said the foreperson hadn't seemed afraid or apprehensive, just "stubborn." "He said he'd made up his mind, he didn't want to change it, and people were pressuring him to change it. That's what jury deliberations involve," the prosecutor said. The episode was the latest sign of strain among the jurors. On Friday, one of them asked to be excused because he felt another member of the group was being treated unfairly. Weinstein's lawyers asked unsuccessfully for a mistrial then and again after the foreperson expressed his concerns on Monday. The jury kept deliberating and went through Tuesday without sending any more messages about interpersonal tensions. The seven female and five male jurors started their fifth day of deliberations on Wednesday by re-hearing accuser Jessica Mann's testimony that he raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. The group wrapped up Tuesday's deliberations by asking to revisit that testimony. Some jurors appeared to take fresh notes on Wednesday, while others sat impassively as court stenographers read aloud the requested parts of Mann's days-long testimony. The jury had already reheard some of the passages last week. Weinstein pleaded not guilty to raping Mann and to forcing oral sex on two other women, Mimi Haley and Kaja Sokola. The Oscar-winning producer and former Hollywood powerbroker maintains that he never sexually assaulted or raped anyone and his lawyers portrayed his accusers as opportunists who accepted his advances because they wanted a leg up in the entertainment world.
