A New York appeals court on Thursday overturned the rape and sexual assault conviction of former Hollywood star producer Harvey Weinstein in 2020, and ordered a new trial.
The appeals court found that procedural errors had been made during this trial, which constituted a victory for the MeToo movement. Harvey Weinstein was separately sentenced to prison in Los Angeles.
During the trial, testimony relating to acts other than those committed against the complainants had notably been admitted “incorrectly”, according to one of the judges of the court of appeal. However, these testimonies had “painted a highly damaging image” of Mr. Weinstein.
“The solution to these shocking errors is a new trial,” continued this judge.
Harvey Weinstein, 72, was sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020 for rape and sexual assault.
Then in 2023, the ex-producer was sentenced to 16 years in prison in Los Angeles for similar facts.
The MeToo movement was sparked by revelations about the sexual predatory behavior of Harvey Weinstein, whose influence on Hollywood was once immense.
