Harvey Weinstein became a convicted rapist as of Monday, NBC News reports.
The Hollywood producer was convicted on two of five counts. Within the six-week trial, the jury in the New York federal court found Weinstein guilty of third-degree rape against former up-and-coming actress Jessica Mann, and first-degree criminal sexual act against a former production assistant, Mimi Haley.
Upon news of the conviction, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke and others weighed in on the decision.
Annabella Sciorra
Miriam Haleyi
Dawn Dunning
Tarale Wulff
Lauren Young
Unnamed Survivor
+84 other
#SilenceBreakers
#NotAccusersSurvivors#Protectthematallcosts
https://t.co/0xxLbmhf8A— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) February 24, 2020
District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. told ABC News the conviction was further proof of a new era for sexual assault survivors.
"This is the new landscape for survivors of sexual assault in America, I believe, and it is a new day. It is a new day because Harvey Weinstein has finally been held accountable for crimes he committed," Vance said. "Weinstein is a vicious, serial sexual predator who used his power to threaten, rape, assault and trick, humiliate and silence his victims."
May Harvey Weinstein spend what remains of his life behind bars, thinking about all the terrible crimes he committed against women and may find some measure of peace in his punishment.
— roxane gay (@rgay) February 24, 2020
Then there was good riddance to what had become quite the popular retort to the accusations against and cultural cancellations of Bill Cosby and R. Kelly in the form of "What about Weinstein?"
My condolences to everyone that defended R. Kelly or Cosby by claiming no one was prosecuting Weinstein. And by condolences I mean, hello, here's a clue https://t.co/gFwDSch178
— ❄Mikki Kendall❄ (@Karnythia) February 24, 2020
This is horrible news for the “wHaT aBouT hArvEY WeiNSTeIn” hive pic.twitter.com/hJNnQOvcbc
— Sylvia Obell (@SylviaObell) February 24, 2020
Then there was this sentiment:
I want to beat Harvey Weinstein up with his own walker.
— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) February 24, 2020
Although he is now a convicted sex offender, the jury found Weinstein not guilty of two predatory sexual assault counts that might have given him life behind bars, and he was acquitted of first-degree rape against Mann, NBC News reported.
Lets be clear. Weinstein was acquitted of the serious charges. He was found guilty of the lesser charges
Harvey Weinstein Found Guilty of Rape and Criminal Sex Act, Acquitted of Most Serious Charges https://t.co/B9hpb3c7gm
— Tariq Nasheed ???????? (@tariqnasheed) February 24, 2020
Mann described her relationship with Weinstein as consensual in public, but their relationship behind closed doors was aggressively sexual. She said she was raped in two hotels in New York and California, according to The Los Angeles Times.
"He could lift you up to anyone he introduced you to and then behind closed doors it was … dependent on if I gave him what he wanted," Mann said via The LA Times.
The jury consisted of seven men and five women who deliberated for five days.
During the trial, four other accusers were called to testify about Weinstein's history of sexual misconduct. One of the accusers is a well-known actress from The Sopranos, Annabella Sciorra, who said Weinstein raped her in the early 1990s.
The LA Times reported that Weinstein intruded inside of Sciorra's Manhatten apartment after giving her a ride home, unbuttoned his shirt and forced himself on her. The actress reportedly punched and kicked Weinstein, but she was still violated.
"I was just trying to get him away from me and he took my hands and he put them over my head," Sciorra said via The LA Times. "He got on top of me and he raped me."
HARVEY WEINSTEIN HAS BEEN HANDCUFFED & TAKEN TO JAIL! GUTTED FOR MY DEAR FRIEND #ANNABELLASCIORRA WHO TOLD THE TRUTH! YET I CONGRATULATE HER & ALL WHO CAME FORWARD FOR THEIR BRAVERY. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH BUT SURVIVORS TAKE COURAGE! THIS IS STILL A GREAT WIN! CONGRATS JOAN ILLUZZI! https://t.co/LihJLiudNo
— Rosie Perez (@rosieperezbklyn) February 24, 2020
ABC News reported that the judge took Weinstein into custody immediately.
#Breaking The judge remanded Harvey Weinstein into custody without a bail package for the first time. https://t.co/ntpuBMcax1
https://t.co/yJEwhp5GAP— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) February 24, 2020
Weinstein, 67, could be spending up to 29 years in prison.