On Monday morning, after more than 26 hours of deliberation, disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted on two of five charges, including rape.
The verdict comes more than a year after Weinstein’s sexual harassment settlements were revealed, prompting several women to come forward with more allegations of rape and other criminal sex acts. The new allegations then sparked the #MeToo Movement, as celebrities, execs and assistants shared their own inappropriate experiences with the mogul.
In response to the wave of allegations, The New York Times published an open letter, announcing Time’s Up, a foundation that focused on tackling sexual harassment and assault. Now, just two years after its inception, the group is praising Weinstein’s verdict, hailing it as a “new era of justice.”
“This trial – and the jury’s decision today – marks a new era of justice, not just for the Silence Breakers, who spoke out at great personal risk, but for all survivors of harassment, abuse, and assault at work,” Tina Tchen, president and CEO of Time’s Up Foundation, said. “We owe a debt of gratitude to Mimi Haley, Jessica Mann, Annabella Sciorra, Dawn Dunning, Tarale Wulff, and Lauren Young and all the Silence Breakers for their bravery and resolve as they faced this man in court. We continue to believe them – all of them – and continue to be in solidarity with them.”
In a separate statement, the Silence Breakers, which is a group formed by Ashley Judd and others, said, “While it is disappointing that today’s outcome does not deliver the true, full justice that so many women deserve, Harvey Weinstein will now forever be known as a convicted serial predator. This conviction would not be possible without the testimony of the courageous women and the many women who have spoken out.”
“Despite intimidation from Weinstein’s legal team,” the group continued, “They courageously shared their stories with the jury, the courtroom and the world. This has been a flawed process from the beginning but has further exposed the difficulties women face in coming forward, to tell the truth about powerful abusers. Their bravery will forever be remembered in history.”
