Weinstein, 73, who appeared impassive in a wheelchair throughout the proceedings, was being retried for offenses against two women: Jessica Mann, whom he is alleged to have raped, and Miriam Haley, for whom he was found guilty of sexual assault. New charges involving former model Kaja Sokola were also introduced, of which he was found not guilty.
During the tense moment in a Manhattan courtroom, the jury foreman, representing the seven women and five men of the jury, delivered the verdict for the Haley count with a clear "Guilty." However, when asked for a verdict on the rape of Mann, the foreman shook his head and responded, "not guilty" on the Sokola count. As he was wheeled out of court, Weinstein reportedly muttered, "Not true."
The judge has issued a gag order, preventing legal teams from speaking to the media as the jury continues its deliberations on the outstanding rape charge against Mann.
This conviction is a significant vindication for Miriam Haley, whose complaint was instrumental in Weinstein's initial guilty verdict in 2020 and helped fuel the "MeToo" movement. The "MeToo" movement, which began in 2017 with the first public allegations against Weinstein, led to a global outpouring of sexual misconduct accusations against powerful men, fundamentally challenging the systemic exploitation within the film industry and prompting a vital reckoning on toxic workplace cultures.
More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct since the initial revelations. His original 2020 conviction and subsequent 23-year prison sentence were overturned last year by an appeals court, citing irregularities in witness presentation, which led to this retrial.