Why Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction was overturned and what happens next

Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has had his 2020 rape and sexual assault convictions overturned, with a New York Court ordering a new trial in the landmark #MeToo case.

Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2020 after he was convicted for sexually assaulting a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and raping an aspiring actress in 2013. Now, the highest court in New York has ruled the judge at the 2020 trial prejudiced the 72-year-old with improper rulings.

These included a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren't part of the case. Here, we've taken a detailed look at why the conviction was overturned and what will happen next.

For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US.

READ MORE: Harvey Weinstein's 2020 #MeToo rape conviction overturned after 'crucial mistake' by New York judge

Why was the conviction overturned?

Weinstein's conviction was overturned after a New York court ruled the judge at the trial prejudiced the former producer with "egregious" improper rulings. In a 4-3 decision, it was decided Weinstein had not received a fair trial.

The court's majority said it was "an abuse of judicial discretion to permit untested allegations of nothing more than bad behaviour that destroys a defendant’s character but sheds no light on their credibility as related to the criminal charges lodged against them." They added: "We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes."

During the landmark #MeToo trial, the court heard how Weinstein had forcibly performed oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in his apartment in 2006 and how he attacked an aspiring actress in 2013. In total, six women took to the stand to give accounts of alleged abuse, with jurors considering the testimony as a basis for charges alleging Weinstein is a sexual predator.

After the conviction was overturned, Judge Madeline Singas wrote that the majority was "whitewashing the facts to conform to a he-said/she-said narrative," and said the Court of Appeals was continuing a "disturbing trend of overturning juries' guilty verdicts in cases involving sexual violence."

"The majority's determination perpetuates outdated notions of sexual violence and allows predators to escape accountability," Singas wrote.

What happens next?

As the convictions were overturned, the court ordered a new trial. The decision stated: "The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial."

Despite the 2020 convictions being overturned, Weinstein will remain imprisoned for a 2022 conviction of another rape. After this trial in Los Angeles, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Weinstein was acquitted in Los Angeles on charges involving one of the women who testified in New York.

It is unclear if he will now be transferred a facility to California. A spokesman for the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision told The New York Times they are "reviewing the court decision".

A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's office told The Hollywood Reporter: "We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault."

Accuser response

Douglas H. Wigdor, who has represented eight Weinstein accusers including two witnesses at the New York trial, slammed the ruling as a "major step back". In a statement, he said: "Today's decision is a major step back in holding those accountable for acts of sexual violence.

"Courts routinely admit evidence of other uncharged acts where they assist juries in understanding issues concerning the intent, modus operandi or scheme of the defendant. The jury was instructed on the relevance of this testimony and overturning the verdict is tragic in that it will require the victims to endure yet another trial."

Ashley Judd, who was among the first to share her allegations against Weinstein, told The New York Times: "That is unfair to survivors. We still live in our truth. And we know what happened."

At a press conference, she added: "This is what it’s like to be a woman in America, living with male entitlement to our bodies." Oscar winner Mira Sorvino, who claimed Weinstein sexually harassed her before stifling her career, posted that she was "horrified" and "disgusted" with the decision.

Weinstein response

Weinstein's lawyer in the appellate case, Arthur Aidala, said in a statement: "We all worked very hard and this is a tremendous victory for every criminal defendant in the state of New York."

He added: "Harvey Weinstein did not get a fair trial. You can’t throw out 100 years of legal precedent because someone is unpopular. Today's legal ruling is a great day for America because it instils in us the faith that there is a justice system."

Shortly after the ruling was announced, Weinstein's spokesperson Juda Engelmayer told Deadline: "We're cautiously excited. He still has a long road ahead of him because of the Los Angeles case. We are studying the ramifications of the appeal right now."

* Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.