Prosecutors drop a rape charge against Harvey Weinstein
AP News • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Prosecutors dropped the New York rape charge against Harvey Weinstein after his accuser, Jessica Mann, said she could no longer endure testifying, ending a case marked by an overturned conviction and two hung juries.
- Weinstein remains convicted of other sexual crimes in New York and California and is currently in jail awaiting sentencing, with prosecutors seeking a 20-year term in New York and a 16-year sentence in California.
- Mann, who testified at three trials, described a complex and abusive relationship with Weinstein, alleging he raped her in a Manhattan hotel in 2013, while Weinstein has consistently denied the charges, claiming all encounters were consensual.
- Mann cited the emotional and physical toll of the trials, including concussion symptoms and trauma, in a letter explaining her decision to withdraw, criticizing the justice system and media for the harm caused.
- Weinstein's legal team expressed relief at the dismissal, maintaining his innocence and asserting that the charges should never have been brought, while Weinstein continues to appeal his convictions.
