Harvey Weinstein fails to get his sexual assault conviction overturned

(Image credit: Etienne Laurent-Pool/Getty Images)

published 2 June 2022

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.

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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."

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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.

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