Former movie producer, Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 23 years in prison after his February conviction on charges of sexual assault and rape.
Justice James Burke who presided over Weinstein’s trial handed down the sentence on Wednesday, at the Manhattan criminal court.
In a case hailed as a victory for the #MeToo movement , a jury on Feb. 24 found Weinstein, 67, guilty of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann.
“I feel remorse for all of the men who are going through this fight,” Weinstein told the court before he was sentenced.
In a rambling statement, he said he was “confused” and that he believed he had a “serious friendship” with Mann and Haleyi.
Once one of Hollywood’s most influential producers, Weinstein had faced the possibility of a maximum sentence of 29 years in prison.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance told reporters afterward that the judge “sent a message today that this type of behavior is something that any potential offender is going to have to consider. The judge took it seriously, and we’re grateful.”
Weinstein, wearing a suit and sitting in a wheelchair; the six women who testified against Weinstein were in court for the proceedings.
In an emotional statement in court, Haleyi said “It scarred me deeply, mentally and emotionally, perhaps irreparably, perhaps forever.”
She said Weinstein has seemed “completely disconnected from the gravity of the crime he has committed against me.”
Mann also addressed the court. “I want to remind you I told Harvey, ‘no,’” she told the court.
“I have to carry that experience until I die,” Mann added.