Harvey Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein
Weinstein in 2011
Born (1952-03-19) March 19, 1952 (age 72)
Queens, New York, U.S.
EducationUniversity at Buffalo
OccupationFilm producer
Years active1979–2017
Criminal statusIncarcerated at Rikers Island[4]
Spouses
Eve Chilton
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​
(m. 1987; div. 2004)​
​
​
(m. 2007; div. 2021)​
Children5
RelativesBob Weinstein (brother)
Conviction(s)Rape (3 counts)[a]
Criminal penalty16 years in prison[2]
Date apprehended
May 25, 2018[3]

Harvey Weinstein (/ˈwaɪnstiːn/; born March 19, 1952) is an American former film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent films including Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989); The Crying Game (1992); Pulp Fiction (1994); Heavenly Creatures (1994); Flirting with Disaster (1996); and Shakespeare in Love (1998).[5] Weinstein won an Academy Award for producing Shakespeare in Love and also won seven Tony Awards for plays and musicals including The Producers, Billy Elliot the Musical, and August: Osage County.[6] After leaving Miramax, Weinstein and his brother Bob founded The Weinstein Company (TWC), a mini-major film studio. He was co-chairman, alongside Bob, from 2005 to 2017.

In October 2017, following sexual abuse allegations dating back to the late 1970s, Weinstein was dismissed from his company and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. More than 80 women made allegations of sexual harassment or rape against him by October 31.[7] The allegations sparked the #MeToo social media campaign and subsequent sexual abuse allegations against many powerful men worldwide; this phenomenon is referred to as the "Weinstein effect".

In May 2018, Weinstein was arrested and charged with rape in New York; in February 2020, he was found guilty of two of five felony counts.[8] Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison,[9] and began serving his sentence at Wende Correctional Facility. On July 20, 2021, Weinstein was extradited to Los Angeles to face further charges at a subsequent trial, where he was found guilty of three of seven charges on December 19, 2022.[10] Weinstein was sentenced to 16 years in the Los Angeles trial, with his California prison term required to be served separately from his New York sentence.[11] In April 2023, he was extradited from California to New York, returning to Mohawk Correctional Facility.[12] On April 25, 2024, the New York Court of Appeals overturned the New York rape convictions because of "egregious errors" of procedure, ordering a retrial.[13][14][15] Weinstein remains in prison because of the California conviction. After the 2024 New York Court of Appeals decision, Weinstein was transferred back to New York's Rikers Island prison, with plans being made for a retrial to take place in New York in September 2024.[16][17] On July 19, 2024, it was ruled that Weinstein would be retried for the New York sex abuse charges, with a retrial start date tentatively set for November 12, 2024.[18][19]

  1. ^ Cowamn, Jill (December 19, 2022). "Harvey Weinstein Convicted of Sex Crimes in Los Angeles". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  2. ^ "LA Judge Sentences Harvey Weinstein to 16 Years for Rape, Sexual Assault". February 23, 2023. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC News 25 May 2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Neumeister, Larry (May 7, 2024). "Harvey Weinstein is back at NYC's Rikers Island jail after hospital stay". Associated Press. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  5. ^ Kunz, William M. (2007). Culture Conglomerates: Consolidation in the Motion Picture And Television Industries. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-7425-4066-8. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  6. ^ Klinger, Barbara (March 13, 2006). Beyond the Multiplex: Cinema, New Technologies, and the Home. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-520-24586-0. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  7. ^ Williams, Janice (October 30, 2017). "Harvey Weinstein Accusers: Over 80 Women Now Claim Producer Sexually Assaulted or Harassed Them". Newsweek. New York City. Archived from the original on November 2, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  8. ^ Pilkington, Ed (February 24, 2020). "Harvey Weinstein found guilty at rape trial". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  9. ^ Ransom, Jan (March 11, 2020). "Harvey Weinstein Is Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020.
  10. ^ "Jury reaches verdict in Harvey Weinstein sexual assault trial". CNN. December 19, 2022. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  11. ^ James Queally. "Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years in prison for Los Angeles rape Archived December 28, 2023, at the Wayback Machine." Los Angeles Times, February 23, 2023. Accessed February 23, 2023.
  12. ^ Misiaszek, Emma (April 11, 2023). "Harvey Weinstein transferred to Mohawk Correctional Facility following California trial". CNY. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  13. ^ "Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by New York appeals court". Sky News. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  14. ^ "Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction overturned over 'crucial mistake' by judge". The Independent. April 25, 2024. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  15. ^ "The People v Harvey Weinstein" (PDF). State of New York Court of Appeals. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference weinsteinjail was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Duddridge, Natalie (May 9, 2024). "Harvey Weinstein staying in NYC jail after case overturned. Here's the latest on his retrial". CBS News New York. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  18. ^ Meko, Hurubie (July 19, 2024). "Harvey Weinstein's Latest Sexual Assault Trial Set to Start in November". New York Times. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  19. ^ Queen, Jack (July 19, 2024). "Harvey Weinstein retrial on NY rape charges tentatively set for Nov. 12". Reuters. Retrieved July 19, 2024.


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