NEW YORK – Harvey Weinstein, 67, was sentenced in New York City on Wednesday to 23 years in prison for third-degree rape and a criminal sex act as he maintained he simply had consensual “extramarital affairs” with the victims.
Weinstein was convicted on two counts last month: criminal sex act for the 2006 assault of a production assistant and rape in the third degree for the 2013 attack on another woman. On the criminal sex act count, he faced a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 25 years, while the third-degree rape count carried a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
Weinstein, who arrived to court on Wednesday in a wheelchair, addressed the judge although he had opted out of testifying on his own behalf during his trial.
“Thousands of men are losing due process. I’m worried about this country,” the disgraced Hollywood mogul said after two of his accusers confronted him in court.
Both victims, Miriam Haleyi and Jessica Mann, read impact statements ahead of the sentencing. The four other women who testified against him, including “Sopranos” actress Annabella Sciorra, sat side-by-side in the courtroom audience but were not permitted to speak at the sentencing under state law.
“I could only hope whatever sentence, [it’s] long enough for him to acknowledge for what he has done to me and others,” Haleyi shared as she broke into tears recalling to Judge James Burke that the 2006 attack scarred her deeply, made her rethink her career in the entertainment business and left her feeling paranoid and afraid of retaliation.
“I believe that if Harvey Weinstein was not convicted by this jury, it would happen again and again and again,” Haleyi said, adding, “Rape is not just one moment of penetration. It is forever.”
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