Harvey Weinstein Conviction

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(Image via The Hollywood Reporter)

Savanah Amaya, Writer

We all know of Harvey Weinstein for multiple reasons. He is an American film producer who has helped in the making of many popular movies such as Pulp Fiction, Scream, and Lord Of The Rings. Although he has made some of the most loved movies made to date, he has had some serious accusations throughout the years. For decades he has been accused of sexually harassing female employees, usually inviting them to rehearse lines or inviting them to hotel parties and then forcing them into sexual acts. He would pay settlements to actresses and female production assistants to prevent his sexual conduct from becoming public. After all the accusations, Harvey Weinstein was finally convicted on two of the five counts of rape and sexual acts. 

In October 2017, dozens of women accused Harvey Weinstein of rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse. Since then, over eighty women have come forward. He had denied any accusations of “non-consensual sex.” These accusations caused Harvey to lose his position in his business and many other professional associations. According to BBC, The Weinstein Company directors stated “in the new light of new information about misconduct” his employment had been terminated.

Weinstein’s company and associations were not the only things he lost, in 2017 after the allegations against him came out his wife at the time Georgina Chapman settled for divorce. According to Fox News, it states, She was shocked and livid when she learned about all of this and especially when it went public. It was humiliating,” She states that she didn’t know about this side of him. The couple had shared two children, who are currently under the primary custody of Chapman. Her main concern was that her ex-husband’s scandals would affect their children

According to Biography, in Weinstein’s defense, he stated “I came of age in the ’60s and ’70s when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then. I have since learned it is not an excuse.” In 2017 after more accusations were coming out, he headed off to an Arizona rehab facility for sex addiction treatment. According to Business Insider, the treatment program cost $58,000 and lasted 45 days, although he did not stay for the full amount of time. Many people questioned whether his “sex addiction” was true or not. While in the facility it was reported he did not take the treatment very seriously. According to Vice he had allegedly fallen asleep during group sessions, ditched meetings and insisted that the accusations made against him were false. 

On February 24, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of sexual assault. According to The Washington Post, he was found not guilty of the most severe charges, of predatory sexual assault, but was found guilty of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act. He will face up to 25 years in prison. According to BBC, at least 80 women had accused him of sexual misconduct, going back decades. Due to Harvey’s poor health, he is being sent to Rikers, which is a large jail facility on an island in the East River off the south coast in New York City until Judge James Burke makes a judiciary decision whether he stays there or not.