Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 additional years in prison for rape case

Harvey Weinstein. Pic/AFP

Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 16 years on Thursday morning nearly two months after his Los Angeles trial concluded with a jury convicting him on three counts of rape and sexual assault.

Weinstein's sentencing was held in downtown Los Angeles. Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence in New York, after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in that jurisdiction in his 2020 criminal trial, reported Variety.

All three charges on which Weinstein were convicted were based on the counts relating to Jane Doe, a European model who testified she was raped by Weinstein at Mr. C Hotel after the L.A. Italia Film Festival in 2013, reported Variety.

Thursday's sentencing signals that Weinstein, who will turn 71 years old next month, will spend the remainder of his life in prison, marking a downfall for the Oscar winner who reigned over Hollywood and was once one of the most powerful individuals in the entertainment industry.

His team, however, is still fighting for Weinstein's life. In Los Angeles, his lawyers, Mark Werksman and Alan Jackson, filed a motion in January to request a new trial with a new jury, which the judge shot down on Thursday, ahead of the sentencing. In New York, the Court of Appeals, which is the highest court in the state, agreed to hear Weinstein's appeal to possibly overturn his 2020 sex crimes conviction, reported Variety.

Also Read: Harvey Weinstein rape conviction sentencing delayed

Weinstein has been accused by more than 100 women who have publicly come forward with allegations of sexual assault, abuse and harassment that have spanned decades. His monumental fall triggered by #MeToo in 2017, and the story of his survivors coming forward even inspired a major studio film, "She Said," which was released in theatres last year.

Weinstein has consistently maintained his innocence, denying any accusations of rape or assault, and his legal team has repeatedly stated that their client has unfairly been painted as the poster boy of the #MeToo movement.

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