Thursday, Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison for the 2013 rape of an actress in Los Angeles.The disgraced movie producer is already serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in that jurisdiction in his 2020 criminal trial.
Weistein was convicted in December on three counts, including rape, sexual penetration by a foreign object and forcible oral copulation, after the actress, identified in court as Jane Doe 1, testified he raped her at Mr. C Hotel after the L.A. Italia Film Festival in 2013.
Prior to the sentencing, Jane Doe 1 spoke in court, detailing how the rape had changed her.
“Before that night I was a very happy and confident woman. I valued myself and the relationship I had with God. I was excited about my future,” she said. “Everything changed after the defendant brutally assaulted me.
“I thought I did something wrong because he chose me that night. I thought I did something wrong for him to do that to me. I soon became invisible to myself and to the world. I lost my identity. I was heartbroken, empty and alone.”
70-year-old Weistein also spoke in court Thursday and continued to maintain his innocence calling the whole thing a “setup,” CNN reports.
“I maintain that I’m innocent. I never raped or sexually assaulted Jane Doe 1. I never knew this woman, and the fact is she doesn’t know me. This is about money,” he said.
“Please don’t sentence me to life in prison,” he added. “I don’t deserve it.”
Thursday’s sentencing ensures the former Hollywood mogul will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
