Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty to new sexual assault charge

Former Hollywood producer and deposed king, already in prison for rape and sexual assault Harvey Weinstein, pleaded “not guilty” Wednesday to a new charge for the sexual assault of a woman in 2006, in a Manhattan court where he is to be retried at a later date.

Harvey Weinstein, 72, who underwent heart surgery last week in New York where he is incarcerated, arrived visibly diminished, unshaven, in a wheelchair to hear this new indictment.

Decided by a grand jury – citizens who participate in the investigation with prosecutors – it adds to a long list of accusations since 2017 for which he has already been tried twice, in New York and Los Angeles.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged him with “the sexual assault of a woman at a lower Manhattan hotel on a single occasion between April 29 and May 6, 2006,” according to a statement.

Shock wave

“Thanks to this surviving victim who courageously testified, Harvey Weinstein is now charged with a new alleged violent sexual assault,” thundered the magistrate.

The fall of the former all-powerful producer of American cinema triggered a global shockwave, freed the voices of many victims and brought to light the sexual and sexist violence against women.

The former head of Miramax Studios is to be retried in New York after an appeals court resoundingly overturned his 2020 conviction for the rape of actress Jessica Mann and the sexual assault of production assistant Mimi Haleyi in late April. The surprise reversal was seen as an affront and a step backwards for the #MeToo movement.

The date of November 12 was mentioned but the public prosecutor considered it “not realistic” on Wednesday and the judge set the next procedural hearing for October 2, according to an AFP journalist present in the courtroom.

More than 80 women have accused Harvey Weinstein of harassment, sexual assault or rape, including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd. Actress Jessica Mann has already announced that she will testify again against the accused in a new trial.

Until then, Harvey Weinstein remains behind bars because he was also sentenced in 2023 to 16 years in prison in Los Angeles for separate cases of rape and sexual assault. He has appealed.

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