Harvey Weinstein Pleads Not Guilty to Additional Criminal Sex Act Charge

Harvey Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to the additional criminal sex act charge he was indicted on last week in New York.

Last Thursday, Weinstein was indicted on the additional sex crimes charge at a hearing. The details of the new charge remain sealed, but he is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a lower Manhattan hotel on one occasion between April 29, 2006, and May 6, 2006, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr.

“Thanks to this survivor who bravely came forward, Harvey Weinstein now stands indicted for an additional alleged violent sexual assault,” said Bragg. “This investigation is ongoing.”

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“Our firm represents Jane Doe, whose grand jury testimony formed the basis of the new indictment against Harvey Weinstein,” said attorney Lindsay Goldbrum at Outten & Golden LLP. “Mr. Weinstein is charged with one count of criminal sexual act in the First Degree. Ms. Doe has not shared this story publicly before, nor does she want to be identified at this time. She will be fully prepared to speak her truth at trial to hold Mr. Weinstein accountable before a jury of his peers. We would like to thank the media in advance for respecting Ms. Doe’s privacy while she prepares for her testimony.”

The former movie producer appeared in a Manhattan court for the first time after undergoing heart surgery last week. He was wheeled in by courthouse security guards in a wheelchair. He also underwent emergency heart surgery last week and “almost died,” according to his lawyer Arthur Aidala.

“Why are they indicting him on new charges? Maybe their current case fell apart,” Aidala said in court Wednesday, adding “They had an individual, then they went out to seek the crime.”

Prosecution is seeking to consolidate the new charge with the other charges from Weinstein’s upcoming retrial, which the defense has previously opposed.

In April, the New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction. The appeals court ruled that Weinstein’s original trial erred by allowing three additional accusers to testify about their own assault allegations when they should not have been permitted. Their testimonies were prejudiced against Weinstein and didn’t shed any light on the charges he faced; the appeals court vacated the conviction and ordered a retrial. The new trial was tentatively set for November, but it’s now eying an early 2025 date.

Jessica Mann, who testified against Weinstein at that trial, has said she will confront him again. In a statement released after the new charges were brought forward, she applauded the indictment.

“The significant new criminal charges leveled today against Harvey Weinstein show that this Grand Jury, like so many others, can see clearly through his facade for what he truly is: a predator who must be held accountable for his crimes,” she said. “As I said when Harvey was found guilty the first time, I have found my voice. I look forward to continuing to use it as I face Harvey again in court soon and prove that my life is valuable. That, I know now, is something he will never be able to take away.”

Weinstein was also convicted in 2022 in Los Angeles of raping an Italian model, and was sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison.