Judge calls Weinstein a ‘sexual predator’ as he is resentenced to 15 years for 2006 sex assault on production assistant

Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan Supreme Court to be sentenced for sexually assaulting Miriam Haley, in New York September 23, 2026. — Barry Williams/Pool/AFP pic

First Published: Thursday, 24 Sep 2026 10:19 AM MYT

NEW YORK, Sept 24 — Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who was at the centre of abuse allegations that spurred the #MeToo movement, was resentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a former production assistant.

Weinstein, 74, forcibly performed oral sex in 2006 on Miriam Haley, one of dozens of women who have made accusations against the Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love producer.

Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in 2020 for the sexual assault, but it was overturned on appeal in 2024. A jury found him guilty again in 2025 after a retrial in New York.

He made a last-ditch plea for leniency yesterday as he addressed a packed Manhattan court, where Haley sat in the audience.

“I am not a violent man, have some mercy,” said Weinstein, who wore a dark suit with a red tie and sat in a wheelchair due to health issues.

“I sincerely apologise to anyone I have hurt,” he added, while continuing to maintain his innocence during remarks met by loud groans inside the court.

After sentencing, his spokesman Juda Engelmayer told AFP that Weinstein planned to appeal the latest sentence and conviction.

“It is difficult to escape the conclusion that Harvey Weinstein is being sentenced not only for the crime of which he was convicted, but for who he is and what his name has come to represent,” he said, referencing the #MeToo movement.

‘Courage’ 

Judge Curtis Farber slammed Weinstein as a “sexual predator” who had failed to take responsibility for his actions.

“You had it all. Your legacy could have been cemented with greatness. But you threw it all away by assaulting Miriam Haley,” Farber said.

Prosecutors had sought 20 years in prison for Weinstein, while his lawyers warned that a longer sentence would likely see him die in prison.

Haley said after the hearing that she believed the 15-year prison term “was fair, in my opinion. So I’m happy with it.”

She earlier told the court that she had suffered a “life sentence” and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after Weinstein assaulted her in New York.

She said that Weinstein “abused his position of power” and that she “felt embarrassed that he thought I was so insignificant that he dared to do something like this.”

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg praised Haley for her “powerful, moving and eloquent” testimony in court.

“I’m moved, as we should all be moved, by their courage and their steadfastness through what has obviously been a challenging process,” he told reporters.

MeToo movement 

Weinstein once ruled Hollywood as a kingpin powerful enough to make or break projects and careers.

But investigations by The New Yorker and The New York Times exposed a raft of abusive behaviour and prompted an avalanche of allegations from more than 80 people.

Weinstein is also to be resentenced in California for the 2013 rape and assault of an actress in a Los Angeles hotel room, after an appeals court in June upheld the conviction but vacated his 16-year prison term.

Meanwhile, a New York judge in May declared a mistrial in a separate case after jurors failed to reach a verdict on allegations he sexually assaulted actor Jessica Mann.

It was the third time Mann had taken the stand against Weinstein after a 2020 guilty verdict was overturned due to mishandling of witnesses, and a 2025 case ended in mistrial after a jury-room feud.

Prosecutors later said they would not pursue a fourth trial in Mann’s case.

Still, she attended the court yesterday in support of Haley along with Polish-born actor Kaja Sokola — Weinstein was acquitted of sexual assault against her in a 2025 retrial. — AFP

* If you are experiencing sexual violence, the following hotlines offer free and confidential support: Talian Kasih at 15999 or WhatsApp 019-2615999 (24/7); All Women’s Action Society at 016-2374221/016-2284221 (9.30am-5.30pm); and Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) at 03-30008858 or SMS/WhatsApp TINA 018-9888058 (24/7)