Jury Selection Begins in Harvey Weinstein Retrial of 2013 Rape Charge in New York

Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein is set to return to a New York courtroom, as prosecutors move forward with a rape charge from 2013, in the latest retrial against him.

Jury selection for the upcoming case began on April 14, where jurors will deliberate whether the 74-year-old sexually assaulted actress and hairstylist Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel room 13 years ago.

This is the third time jurors will consider the case, but this time they will focus solely on one charge per accuser rather than debate the large number of accusations seen in previous trials. About 100 potential jurors were present for an initial screening.

During the court session, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Candace White told Judge Curtis Farber that the prosecution is looking to introduce new evidence, including testimony from a court security officer.

The former movie mogul, who is currently serving time behind bars for prior convictions, vehemently denies the allegations, declaring in court back in January that he “acted wrongly” but “never assaulted anyone.”

More than 80 women, including Hollywood actresses, have come forward since the start of the #MeToo movement in 2017, accusing Weinstein of sexual assault, misconduct, and harassment.

Last year, Weinstein was found guilty of sexual assault while simultaneously being acquitted of the rape charge from 2013. At the time, he was convicted of forcibly subjecting a woman to a criminal sex act in 2006.

In 2020, he was originally convicted on rape and sexual assault charges in New York and was sentenced to 23 years behind bars. He is currently being held at the Rikers Island jail complex.

Two years later, Weinstein was also convicted in Los Angeles of raping and sexually assaulting an Italian actress in 2013. He was sentenced to 16 years during that trial, with his California prison term required to be served separately from his New York sentence.

Meanwhile, the 2020 conviction was overturned in a 4–3 decision in 2024, with the New York Court of Appeals ruling that testimony from women unrelated to the case was permitted, leading to the current retrial.

While in jail, he was being treated for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)—a type of slow-growing blood cancer—as well as diabetes, heart issues, and other ailments. Weinstein has continuously pointed to his declining physical and mental health.

“My mental state is collapsing … My spirit is breaking,” he told Judge Farber earlier this year. “I live in constant anxiety, unable to sleep, haunted by the thought that I will die.”

Weinstein faces up to four years in prison if convicted of the current rape charge, in addition to the prison time he has been serving for other convictions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.