Judge declares mistrial in Harvey Weinstein’s latest trial
A judge has declared a mistrial after a New York jury deadlocked in the Harvey Weinstein rape case involving aspiring actress Jessica Mann.
A judge has declared a mistrial in Harvey Weinstein’s third sex crimes trial.
A New York jury told Judge Curtis Farber on Friday, May 15, that the case over Weinstein’s alleged rape of former aspiring actress Jessica Mann was deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict.
The rape is said to have happened in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013, and prosecutor Candice White previously told jurors that Mann had resisted the Hollywood producer and repeatedly said “no.”
“This case will come down to power, control and manipulation,” White said at the start of the trial in April. She also accused Weinstein of preying on Hollywood’s “vulnerable and sheltered” young women.
Weinstein’s lawyer, Jacob Kaplan, said Mann was a “strong, capable” woman who had a consensual relationship with Weinstein and fabricated the allegations out of regret over the romance.
“At the end of the day, this lawsuit will be about her word against her word,” Kaplan said in his opening statement.
Jessica Mann speaks out about Harvey Weinstein’s miscarriage of justice
Mann reacted to the results in a statement obtained by USA TODAY.
“Today’s decision to declare a miscarriage of justice in no way undermines the truth I told or the violent crimes Harvey Weinstein committed against me and so many others,” Mann said in a statement. “I chose to testify in these three trials because I was telling the truth.
“Over the years, I have had to relive some of the most difficult moments of my life in the face of attempts to shame, humiliate, and discredit me in open court. I have come forward through the justice system adhering to the highest standards, transparency, and accountability. I have chosen integrity, even if my heart has been stripped away in the process,” she continued.
“The power of predators remains too strong. I deserve justice. That’s why I’m standing up and facing intolerable public scrutiny in the name of the greater good: a world where predators have no power,” the statement concluded.
2020 Harvey Weinstein conviction partially overturned
Weinstein was convicted of raping Mann in 2013 and assaulting his former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2020, but the convictions were later overturned when a higher court ruled the Hollywood producer did not receive a fair trial.
Weinstein was retried in 2025, with a jury finding him guilty of molesting Hailey and not guilty of assaulting former model Kaja Sokola. However, the jury deadlocked on the rape charge involving Mann, resulting in a mistrial in that case.
In his third trial, which began in April, Weinstein pleaded not guilty to one count of third-degree rape. He also denies allegations of assault and non-consensual sex.
Weinstein is currently appealing a 2022 rape conviction in California and a 16-year prison sentence. He also faces up to 25 years in prison for his conviction for abusing Haley.
Contributed by: Reuters
