Oscar-winning Hollywood producer and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 16 years in jail in his Los Angeles rape and sexual assault trial, all but guaranteeing that the 70-year-old movie boss will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The sentence is in addition to the 23-year sentence he received in New York after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in his 2020 trial.
On Thursday, L.A. Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench sentenced Weinstein to 16 years in jail following his conviction two months ago on three counts of rape and sexual assault. The convictions were all in connection to just one of the accusers in the case — an anonymous European model who alleged Weinstein raped her in 2013 at the Mr. C hotel in Beverly Hills.
The jury acquitted him of sexual battery of a massage therapist and were deadlocked on counts involving other accusers.
Weinstein would theoretically serve the remainder of his New York sentence before beginning his L.A. prison term. He is eligible for parole in New York on 2039.
Weinstein has maintained his innocence in the case. His representatives said they will appeal the sentencing, citing his health among other issues. Throughout his L.A. trial, Weinstein appeared frail and often relied on a walker or a wheelcaair.
“It’s a cruel sentence, given his age, his health and the conditions of his conviction in Los Angeles, when the sole charge was from a person who lied, with the judge and prosecutor well aware of it and permitting it, about critical elements of her own claim,” Weinstein’s spokesman, Juda Engelmayer, told Fox News Digital. “It’s not justice, but a pile on for a man many people just decided should be cast off and discarded regardless of facts.”
“It will be appealed.”
Hundreds of women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct and assault over a period dating back to the eighties. The former head of Miramax was once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, releasing such Oscar-winning hits as Shakespeare in Love, Chicago, and The King’s Speech.
His downfall brought about the #MeToo movement that saw other powerful men in Hollywood and other industries face accusations of sexual misconduct.
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