Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting former TV production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006, bringing another chapter of his long-running legal saga to a close.
The 74-year-old was convicted of forcibly performing oral sex on Haley at his Manhattan apartment. Haley had briefly worked on Weinstein-produced reality series Project Runway.
Judge Curtis Farber said Weinstein had used his influence as a powerful Hollywood figure to prey on women hoping to establish careers in the entertainment industry, treating them as “mere objects to be played with and discarded with impunity”.
Weinstein asked the court for mercy, citing his age and health problems, including cancer and congestive heart failure. He apologised to people affected by his actions and said he felt remorse towards Haley, but continued to maintain his innocence.
“I have to reiterate my innocence,” Weinstein said. His lawyers said he plans to appeal.
Haley, 49, told the court that the assault had a devastating impact on her life and sense of security. She said deciding to speak publicly had left her feeling that she would be “looking over my shoulder for years to come”.
Weinstein has already spent more than six years in prison following his original conviction, meaning he could have around nine years remaining on the new sentence.
However, his legal situation could keep him behind bars for much longer. He is also facing resentencing in Los Angeles, where he was previously sentenced to 16 years for a 2013 rape. Farber said a California judge will determine whether the sentences are served concurrently or consecutively.
Weinstein was originally sentenced in New York in 2020 to 23 years — 20 years for assaulting Haley and three years for raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann. New York’s highest court overturned those convictions in 2024, ruling that Weinstein had been prejudiced by testimony concerning allegations that were not part of the case.
A retrial last year resulted in Weinstein being convicted again in relation to Haley. He was acquitted of a separate charge involving former model Kaja Sokola, while jurors could not reach a verdict on Mann’s rape allegation.
After another retrial ended with a hung jury in May, prosecutors dropped the rape charge rather than pursue a fourth trial after Mann said she could not face testifying again.
Weinstein’s downfall began in 2017 when numerous women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct. The allegations helped propel the #MeToo movement into a global reckoning over sexual harassment and abuse.
Several of Weinstein’s accusers attended Wednesday’s sentencing. Haley said the support of other women who came forward gave her the courage to speak about what happened to her.
Outside court, Haley said she was satisfied with the sentence but argued that Weinstein’s remarks showed he still did not fully acknowledge his actions.
“It’s a life sentence for me,” she said.
