Harvey Weinstein expressed remorse and confusion in a rambling five-minute address before being sentenced to 23 years in prison this morning.
The disgraced Hollywood mogul, 67, was last month convicted of raping an aspiring actress in a hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on a production assistant at his apartment in 2006, Variety reports.
"If Harvey Weinstein had not been convicted by this jury, it would have happened again and again and again," former production assistant Miriam Haley, one of two accusers whose testimony helped convict Weinstein, told the court today. "I'm relieved he will now know he's not above the law. I'm relieved there are women out there who are safer because he's not out there."
Weinstein told his accusers at his sentencing hearing, "To all the women who testified, we may have different truths, but I have great remorse for all of you.
"I’m not going to say these aren’t great people. I had a wonderful time with these people. I’m confused, and I think men are confused," he said. "I think about the thousands of men and women who are losing due process, and I’m worried about this country.”
The former head of The Weinstein Company, formerly Miramax, said he "had no great powers in this industry", saying, "Miramax at the height of its fame was a small company… I couldn't blackball anybody."
He also claimed his former wives were unaware of his "extramarital affairs", saying,"I also want to make one clear statement: my wife Eve [Chilton Weinstein] and my wife Georgina [Chapman] do not know about this. I went to extraordinary lengths to hide my extramarital affairs."
He added that he had not been in contact with his adult children since allegations of sexual misconduct and rape first surfaced in a New York Times article in 2017.
“I understand, I empathise,” he said. “I’ve learned so many things.”
“I really feel remorse for this situation. I feel it deeply in my heart. I’m really trying to be a better person."
Weinstein's defence lawyers said they would appeal the sentence in July.
Los Angeles prosecutors have begun proceedings to extradite Weinstein to California, where he faces rape and sexual assault charges.
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