New York prosecutors announced Thursday they will drop a rape charge against Harvey Weinstein, choosing not to try the former movie mogul for a fourth time in the landmark #MeToo-era case. The decision comes after the victim, Jessica Mann, wrote a letter expressing she could no longer endure another trial.
Prosecutors cite victim's wishes
Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg told the court that prosecutors believe Mann and hail her “bravery, strength, courage and inspiration” to other survivors, but given her feelings about proceeding, “dismissal is appropriate.” Mann, 40, testified for five days at the most recent trial and was questioned about a diary-like note she wrote two days after the alleged rape, which did not mention the incident. At one point during her testimony, Mann said she was struggling to focus, prompting the court to wrap up early for the day.
Weinstein's legal saga
Weinstein, 74, still stands convicted of a sexual felony in New York and another in California, and he remains behind bars. The rape charge that was dropped concerned an allegation that he raped Mann, a hairstylist and actor, in a Manhattan hotel in 2013. Mann testified that she had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with Weinstein, who was married at the time, but said she repeatedly tried to leave and said no to any sexual activity as he cornered her in the hotel room. She said he persevered, demanding that she undress and grabbing her arms, until she was afraid to keep protesting.
Weinstein was convicted in 2020 of raping Mann, but an appeals court overturned that verdict for reasons unrelated to her testimony. Jury deliberations broke down at a 2025 retrial, and jurors deadlocked again at another retrial this spring. The rape charge was a low-level felony punishable by up to four years in prison — less time than Weinstein already has served. He faces considerably longer sentences on the separate sex crime charges that produced convictions in New York and Los Angeles.
Weinstein's denial and defense
Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer of films such as “Shakespeare in Love,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Chocolat,” denies all accusations. His lawyers have maintained that all his accusers, who were trying to go places in show business, had completely consensual sexual liaisons with a movie studio boss who could help them. Weinstein himself has said he “acted wrongly, but I never assaulted anyone.” He did not testify at any of the trials, though he complained during and after the 2025 New York retrial that it was unfair; the judge disagreed.
Impact on #MeToo movement
A series of sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein became public in 2017, fueling the #MeToo campaign for accountability and eventually leading to criminal charges. The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, unless they choose to be named, as Mann has done.
