Harvey Weinstein, the former Hollywood mogul who pleaded not guilty in his New York sex crimes retrial, was found guilty of forcibly subjecting a woman to a criminal sex act in 2006 on Wednesday.
The jury acquited Weinstein on a second criminal sex act charge, and they are continuing to deliberate on a third charge of rape.
Weinstein had been charged with raping a woman in 2013 and forcing oral sex on two others in 2006. For the third-degree rape charge, the former film producer could face a four-year maximum. Each first-degree criminal sexual act count carries a maximum sentence of 25 years.
In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Juda Engelmayer, a spokesperson for Weinstein, said, “This trial was fair until we got to the jury deliberations. More than one juror had complained that other jurors had preconceived notions and are using their beliefs of Harvey’s life as evidence of guilt. The Foreman said he was threatened by other jurors.””We believe there are serious appellate issues and they will be explored.”
Weinstein’s rape retrial began in April, roughly a year after his 2020 conviction was overturned. He had originally been convicted on charges of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act.
HARVEY WEINSTEIN’S TEAM STRESSES SEX CRIME RETRIAL COULD LEAD TO DEATH, REQUESTS HOSPITAL STAY
On Friday, a juror attempted to be removed from the case, claiming that another juror was being treated in an “unfair and unjust” way. The judge told the juror to continue deliberations, and when the defense requested a mistrial over the issue, the judge denied it.
On Monday, the foreperson of the jury told the judge that other jurors are “pushing people to change their minds” based on allegations against Weinstein that were not presented during the trial. Weinstein’s team once again requested the judge declare a mistrial. The request was denied, but the judge said he would remind the jury to only consider evidence presented during the course of the trial.
The defense requested a mistrial for a third time on Wednesday as issues with the jury continued.
While he waited for the verdict, Weinstein opened up in a rare phone interview with Fox 5’s “Good Day New York” and expressed regret.
He admitted he “acted immorally” but insisted that his behavior was “never illegal” or “criminal.”
When asked about the women who testified against him, Weinstein’s response pointed to his lawyer’s claim that financial motives may have influenced their testimonies.
“I think Arthur said they had 4 million reasons to testify,” Weinstein said, as he referenced his attorney, Arthur Aidala.
Weinstein continued to acknowledge the personal toll the trial has taken.
“I have regrets that I put my family through this, that I put my wife through this and I acted immorally,” he said.
“I put so many friends through this and hurt people that were close to me by actions that were stupid, you know what I mean? But never illegal, never criminal, never anything.”
The prosecution and Weinstein’s defense began closing arguments on June 3, as both sides unveiled contrasting portrayals of Weinstein. The jury began deliberations on June 5.
Prosecutors told jurors at his sex crimes retrial that Weinstein preyed on less-powerful women he thought would never speak up.
“This was not a ‘courting game,’ as Mr. Aidala wants you to believe. This was not a ‘transaction,’” prosecutor Nicole Blumberg told jurors, as she referred to Weinstein’s lawyer. “This was never about ‘fooling around.’ It was about rape.”
His defense team maintained that the sexual acts were all consensual, labeling them “transactional.” Aidala accused prosecutors of attempting to “police the bedroom” and using Weinstein as “the poster boy, the original sinner, for the #MeToo movement.”
The two sides took very different tones in their closing arguments, according to the Associated Press.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
His lawyer, Aidala, veered into folksy jokes and theatricality – sometimes re-enacting witnesses’ behavior. Blumberg was more direct, urging jurors to focus on Weinstein’s accusers and their days of grueling testimony.
Weinstein pleaded not guilty to raping a woman in 2013 and forcing oral sex on two others, separately, in 2006.
WEINSTEIN RAPE RETRIAL TO OPEN, WITH MAJORITY-FEMALE JURY
These allegations stem from a 2020 conviction. The case against Weinstein was retried and reshaped since an appeals court overturned the verdict.
In a 4-3 decision, the court found that Weinstein’s trial judge allowed prosecutors to call women who said Weinstein had assaulted them to testify, even though their accusations did not specifically relate to the entertainment mogul’s charges.
“They tried to do it five years ago, and now there’s a redo, and they’re trying to do it again,” Weinstein’s lawyers told jurors during closing arguments at the film producer’s rape retrial.
Blumberg argued that Weinstein interpreted a sexual “no” as a cue to “push a little bit more, and if they still say no, just take it anyway.”
“He chose people who he thought would be the perfect victims, who he could rape and keep silent,” the prosecutor said. “He underestimated them.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
In April, Weinstein’s team emphasized how the stress of his sexual assault retrial could lead to death during the second day of jury selection. His team requested the disgraced entertainment mogul be allowed to spend his nights at the hospital instead of Rikers Island for the entirety of his rape retrial.
Weinstein, 73, claimed his prison stay was worsening his health conditions, which include chronic myeloid leukemia, heart issues, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, sciatica and severe limitations on his ability to walk. The judge ruled the disgraced media mogul could stay at Bellevue Hospital for the entirety of his trial.
Weinstein had previously begged for the retrial to be moved up due to his health conditions, but Judge Curtis Farber did not allow it.
“I’m asking and begging you to switch,” Weinstein previously told the judge in a rare direct address to the court in January. “I can’t hold on anymore. I’m holding on because I want justice for myself.”
However, the trial began as planned on April 15 with jury selection.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
