Harvey Weinstein fails to get his sexual assault conviction overturned


Disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein is staying put in prison.
An appeals court on Thursday upheld Weinstein's sex crimes conviction more than two years after he was found guilty of criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree. His 23-year sentence was also upheld.
Weinstein's attorneys argued that other women who accused him of sexual assault, but whose allegations he wasn't charged with, shouldn't have been allowed to testify during the trial. Their testimony was intended to establish a pattern of behavior by Weinstein. "Simply put, the prosecution tried Weinstein's character not his conduct," the lawyers argued, The New York Times reported.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But the appeals court said testimony from the other women aimed to show that Weinstein's "goal at all times was to position the women in such a way that he could have sex with them" regardless of whether they consented, and it was "helpful" for the jury to learn that "each of the women reacted negatively to defendant's advances," showing that Weinstein "knew that a woman would not consent to having sex with him merely as a quid pro quo for the assistance he could provide them in their professional career."
Weinstein's attorney told the Times he will now ask the New York Court of Appeals to review the case. He's also facing an upcoming second rape trial in Los Angeles, where he was extradited last year. A date for the trial hasn't been set.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
September 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include Labor Day picnic, branding strategy, and more
-
What is Tony Blair's plan for Gaza?
Today's Big Question Former PM has reportedly been putting together a post-war strategy 'for the past several months'
-
When does autumn begin?
The Explainer The UK is experiencing a 'false autumn', as climate change shifts seasonal weather patterns
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play