Former Hollywood mogul ‘s rape retrial ended in a mistrial on Friday (local time) after the jury said it was deadlocked on a verdict, AP reported.
Although Weinstein has been convicted of other sex crimes on both US coasts and remains behind bars, the mistrial leaves the New York rape charge unresolved after three trials. Weinstein appeared expressionless as court officers escorted him out in a wheelchair.
A majority-male Manhattan jury had been deliberating on whether Weinstein raped Jessica Mann, a hairstylist and actor. His lawyers argued that the encounter was consensual and took place in 2013 during a complicated relationship between the then-married Weinstein and the much younger Mann.
According to reports, the mistrial came almost a year after a different New York jury failed to reach a verdict on a charge linked to Mann’s allegations, which she recounted in detail on the witness stand.
The signs of a stalemate emerged hours into the third day of deliberations. Jurors sent a note saying they “have concluded that they cannot reach” a unanimous verdict. Judge Curtis Farber instructed the group to continue deliberating. That’s generally what New York judges do, at least the first time a jury says it is stuck.
Another hearing was set for June 24 to determine whether prosecutors will proceed with a fourth trial. District Attorney Alvin Bragg said he was disappointed with the result, but “we deeply respect the jury system.” Bragg added that his staff will consult the survivor regarding another trial and will also take into account what will happen to when he is sentenced in another case.
Charges against Harvey Weinstein
Before a wave of and assault allegations against him emerged publicly in 2017, Harvey Weinstein was regarded as one of Hollywood’s most influential figures, an Oscar-winning producer, studio executive, and prominent Democratic donor. The allegations helped fuel the #’s push for accountability over sexual misconduct, turned Weinstein into an outcast in the industry, led to the collapse of his studio, and resulted in criminal cases against him in New York and Los Angeles.
The former Hollywood mogul was first convicted of third-degree rape in early 2020, involving Mann, but a New York state appeals court overturned his conviction in 2024, stating that the judge had improperly allowed testimony about allegations not directly linked to the case, NBC News reported.
The second trial occurred in 2025 and concluded with the jury convicting him of a first-degree criminal sexual act for forcibly performing oral sex on former “Project Runway” production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006.
Mann’s allegations against Weinstein
Weinstein, who has consistently denied the allegations, has said that while he was unfaithful to his then-wife and “acted wrongly,” he never assaulted anyone.
Mann, now 40, met Harvey Weinstein at a party in in early 2013, when she was hoping to turn a small number of acting credits into a successful career. Weinstein showed interest in her, but it soon became clear that his intentions were not entirely professional.
During the trials, she noted that Weinstein’s initial and pushy overtures made her uncomfortable, but she gave in to them and decided to develop a relationship with him. According to one of her accounts, Weinstein showed up early for their planned breakfast while she was staying with a friend at a Manhattan hotel in March 2013. He got a room despite Mann’s objections. She added that she accompanied him to the room to talk and made it clear that she didn’t want sex.
Mann never sued Weinstein, but after his 2020 conviction, she applied for and received about $500,000 from a sexual misconduct settlement fund created during the bankruptcy proceedings of his company. The payout was mentioned during last year’s retrial, but the defense did not bring it up this time, following extensive arguments over what could and could not be presented in court.
In all, roughly 100 women have accused Weinstein of sexual assault or harassment.
(With AP inputs)
