Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape Monday in his Los Angeles sexual assault trial.
Weinstein was found guilty of rape, forced oral copulation and another sexual misconduct count involving a woman known as Jane Doe 1.
The jury hung on several counts, notably charges involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to the Associated Press.
The jury reported it was unable to reach verdicts in her allegations and the allegations of another woman. A mistrial was declared on those counts. He was also acquitted of a sexual battery allegation made by another woman.
Siebel Newsom shared a statement with Fox News Digital, “Harvey Weinstein will never be able to rape another woman. He will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs. Harvey Weinstein is a serial predator and what he did was rape. Throughout the trial, Weinstein’s lawyers used sexism, misogyny, and bullying tactics to intimidate, demean, and ridicule us survivors. This trial was a stark reminder that we as a society have work to do. To all survivors out there – I see you, I hear you, and I stand with you.”
Governor Gavin Newsom said he was “incredibly proud” of his wife and “all the brave women who came forward to share their truth and uplift countless survivors who cannot.”
He added, “Their strength, courage and conviction is a powerful example and inspiration to all of us. We must keep fighting to ensure that survivors are supported and that their voices are heard.”
Harvey Weinstein receives verdict in LA rape case.
(Spencer Platt)
Jennifer Siebel Newsom was identified in court as Jane Doe 4 and testified against the fallen Miramax founder. She accused Weinstein of allegedly raping her at a hotel in 2005, and described Weinstein’s “distorted” and “fish-like” genitals during an emotional testimony.
“Over the course of several weeks, eight amazingly courageous women faced their abuser, Harvey Weinstein. They stood up and shared terribly painful stories with the jurors, and endured attacks from the defense team intended to humiliate and shame them for their bravery. We are thankful that those jurors saw Weinstein for what he is – a serial predator,” Elizabeth Fegan, managing partner of FeganScott and attorney representing Siebel Newsom, aka Jane Doe 4, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.
“While we would have preferred that those jurors had found him guilty on all counts, we understand that it was a complex trial, made more difficult by the defense team’s argument that a woman who is assaulted must forego her chosen career or be accused of consent after the fact.”
Fegan added, “My client, Jane Doe 4, shared her story not with an expectation to testify but to support all the survivors who bravely came forward. While we are heartened that the jury found Weinstein guilty on some of the counts, we are disappointed that the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on Jane Doe 4. She will continue to fight for all women and all survivors of abuse against a system that permits the victim to be shamed and re-traumatized in the name of justice.
“The bravery and courage demonstrated by these women will not be dimmed. Their heroic actions have ensured that Harvey Weinstein will likely spend the rest of his life in prison where he belongs, and that people like him understand the consequences of their actions.”
Jurors reached the verdict after more than 40 hours and nine days of deliberations following a month-long trial in L.A. He faced two counts of forcible rape and five counts of sexual assault involving four women.
Harvey Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence following a conviction in New York.
(Etienne Laurent)
Prosecutors called 44 witnesses to the stand but focused on the testimonies of four Jane Doe accusers. Weinstein had pleaded not guilty and has said he did not engage in non-consensual sex. The 70-year-old disgraced movie mogul is already serving a 23-year sentence for a rape conviction in New York.
Weinstein was extradited to California in July 2021 to face 11 sexual assault counts made by four women in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills between 2004 and 2013.
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Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench dismissed two counts of forcible rape and two counts of forcible oral copulation last month.
The dropped charges followed the trial’s opening statements when prosecutors only mentioned four women despite Jane Doe 5 being included in the original indictment.
Weinstein was convicted in New York in February 2020 of forcibly performing oral sex on a TV and film production assistant, Mimi Haley, in 2006 and raping an aspiring actress in 2013.
He was acquitted of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault stemming from actor Annabella Sciorra’s allegations of rape in the ’90s. He has denied ever engaging in non-consensual sex.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Gavin Newsom’s wife, is known as Jane Doe No. 4 in the Harvey Weinstein trial.
(Tim Mosenfelder)
Weinstein also faces charges in London stemming from two offenses in 1996.
“The CPS has authorized the Metropolitan Police to charge Harvey Weinstein with two counts of indecent assault against a woman in August 1996,” Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said.
“Charges have been authorized against Harvey Weinstein, 70, following a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation.”
Unlike many other countries, Britain does not have a statute of limitations for rape or sexual assault.
Following his rape conviction, British police said they were investigating multiple sexual assault claims against Weinstein that reportedly took place between the 1980s and 2015.
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Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
