Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison after being convicted of two felony sex crimes.
Weinstein did not testify in his own defense at his trial, but he did make a statement before sentencing. He spoke before the court for about 20 minutes and expressed his regrets about various things, including his extramarital affairs.
He said he considered the criminal sexual conduct he was convicted of consensual encounters and that he was confused, as he thinks men, in general, are. He described his relationships with his accusers as “serious friendships” and claims the women pursued him for years and benefited professionally from their relationships with Weinstein.
He described himself as generous to his accusers and said he passed his success forward to others. He’s helped sick people get doctors, y’all.
He reminded the court of his charity efforts after 9/11 and Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy and said he hopes to become a better man in prison.
Weinstein weirdly expressed worry for the country and about Hollywood blacklisting himself and others because they could be suspected of being communists. And he also spoke about his former idea of building a hospital just for people who have been blacklisted. Then he said everyone is on a blacklist.
He admitted he had said bad things to people and fought with his brother but was a great guy to many others. He spoke about how he worked his way up in the industry, but it was never about power. His focus, he says, was always on making great movies. He said he never had the power to blacklist anyone.
Harvey’s greatest regret, according to him, is not spending more time with his family and maintaining a relationship with his children. His three oldest children do not speak to him since the start of the #metoo movement.
After being sentenced to 23 years in prison and returned to Rikers Island, Weinstein was transferred to Bellevue Hospital in New York due to chest pains.