Jury selection began on Tuesday in Harvey Weinstein's new trial on rape and sexual assault charges in Manhattan, a year after a state appeals court overturned the former movie mogul's 2020 conviction.
Weinstein, 73, faces one rape count and two criminal sexual act counts in the jury trial, with Superior Court justice Curtis Farber presiding. Weinstein, who co-founded the Miramax studio and was once one of Hollywood's most influential producers, has pleaded not guilty and has denied ever assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex.
More than 100 women, including famous actresses, accused Weinstein of misconduct, and the allegations against him were a focal point of #MeToo. He denied the allegations and said any sexually encounters he had were consensual.
As the news of his new trial surfaced, allegations of misconduct levelled against him by Jennifer Lawrence also remerged online.
The Hollywood actress accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, stating that he had propositioned her for sex in exchange for career advancement.
Lawrence, who denied sleeping with Weinstein, described feeling pressured and uncomfortable during their interactions.
His New York trial is expected to last roughly six weeks. A jury found Weinstein guilty of rape and sexual assault in 2020, and he was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
A state appeals court threw out the conviction in April 2024 and ordered a new trial, finding that women who accused Weinstein of assaults that were not part of the charges against him should not have been allowed to testify.
Weinstein is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison even if he is acquitted in the retrial in New York because he was sentenced to 16 years after being separately convicted of rape in California. Web Des/ Reuters