A retrial in New York for disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who facesrape and sexual assault charges, is set to begin on Tuesday with jury selections.
After a flood of women came forward with damning allegations against the world-famous movie mogul, juries in New York and California found Weinstein guilty of sex crimes, with his accusers giving harrowing testimony at trial.
Weinstein appealed both convictions within weeks. Last April, an appeals court overturned his New York conviction, and now the 72-year-old is set to be tried again in a Manhattan courtroom, even as he remains behind bars for the Los Angeles charges. The trial is expected to last between four and six weeks.
Here’s a timeline of Weinstein’s legal battles.
Actresses and former employees accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct spanning decades in an explosive New York Times article. The list of accusers includes actress Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan. Weinstein denies that he sexually assaulted or raped anyone but offers an apology, telling the outlet: “I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go.”
In the following weeks, dozens of more women, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, come forward with similar allegations.
The New York Attorney General sues the Weinstein Company, which was owned by Weinstein and his brother Bob, for violations of the state’s human rights law and for using the business to “facilitate unlawful activities” related to the film producer’s harassment of employees. The brothers are also named in the suit.
The company files for bankruptcy one month later.
Authorities in New York arrest Weinstein on three charges: rape in the first and third degrees and criminal sexual act in the first degree related to two women. He posts $1 million bail and is released that day. He agrees to wear a GPS tracker and surrender his passport.
One of the women, Lucia Evans, alleges he forced her to perform oral sex during a 2004 encounter. The rape accuser is not publicly identified.
Days later, his lawyer calls the charges “absurd,” claiming Weinstein had a 10-year-long relationship with the woman he’s accused of raping.
A New York grand jury indicts the Hollywood powerhouse.
“This indictment brings the defendant another step closer to accountability for the crimes of violence with which he is now charged,” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. says in a statement.
Weinstein’s encounters with both women were consensual and he “strongly denies” these accusations, his lawyer says.
