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Harvey Weinstein Found Guilty of Rape

HeadlineFeb 25, 2020

Harvey Weinstein is guilty. The jury delivered the verdict against the former movie mogul on two counts: first-degree commission of a criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. He was acquitted of two more serious charges of predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape. He faces a total sentence of up to 29 years in prison.

The charges in Weinstein’s New York rape trail involved two women: production assistant Miriam Haley and then-aspiring actor Jessica Mann. But over 100 women have accused the once-powerful Hollywood producer of sexual assault and misconduct. The Weinstein case propelled the #MeToo movement onto the national and global stage.

Weinstein was ordered to be taken to jail immediately after the verdict was announced and was taken to Bellevue Hospital after, his attorneys say, he experienced heart palpitations.

Ambra Gutierrez, one of Weinstein’s accusers — who in 2015 reported him to the New York police and later recorded him admitting he groped her — reacted to the verdict.

Ambra Gutierrez: “I can say that right now I’m happy to see that those years that I lost of my life are getting back. Of course, there is a lot of work to do, and I’m here to, you know, be there and speak to people so that situations like this will never happen again. And yeah, this is my mission right now.”

Weinstein’s sentencing hearing is set for March 11. We’ll have more on this story after headlines with Tarana Burke, the founder of the #MeToo movement, and award-winning actor, filmmaker and activist Rosanna Arquette.

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