In a forceful closing statement, Manhattan prosecutor Nicole Blumberg told jurors that the evidence unmistakably shows Harvey Weinstein raped three women, despite their repeated protests. Speaking on the final day of the disgraced movie producer’s retrial, Blumberg rejected the defense’s portrayal of the accusers as opportunists and liars, emphasizing instead their clear refusals and Weinstein’s coercive actions.
Blumberg revisited each woman’s testimony in her closing, underscoring how Weinstein allegedly used his power and promises of career success to lure his victims before assaulting them. The former Miramax mogul stands accused of raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and sexually assaulting two others in 2006 and 2002. "He raped three women. They all said, 'no,'" Blumberg asserted, painting Weinstein as a serial predator cloaked in fame and influence.
The trial marks Weinstein’s second in New York, following a dramatic reversal of his 2020 rape conviction by the state’s appeals court in April 2024. That ruling cited procedural errors and granted him a new trial. Weinstein, now 73 and appearing in court in a wheelchair, denies all allegations, maintaining that any sexual encounters were consensual. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Defense attorney Arthur Aidala tried to deflect blame from Weinstein, claiming the women regretted consensual relationships that didn’t deliver the career breakthroughs they hoped for. He argued that the prosecution was unjustly "policing the bedroom" and that their case rested on selective truths. Aidala even presented emails sent by the women to Weinstein after the alleged incidents, suggesting their continued contact indicated the interactions were not coercive.
Blumberg dismissed that claim outright, telling jurors that it wasn’t about regulating intimacy but confronting violent abuse. “We don’t want to police bedrooms—unless you’re forcibly raping someone inside them,” she countered. Her argument aimed to dismantle the notion that fame should shield criminal acts and reinforced that consent cannot be inferred from post-incident communication.
As the jury prepares to deliberate, the stakes are high. If convicted on all counts, Weinstein could face up to 29 years in prison—on top of the 16-year sentence he is already serving in California for a separate rape conviction. Once the titan of Hollywood, Weinstein is now symbolic of the #MeToo movement, with over 100 women accusing him of misconduct. His retrial is not just about one man’s guilt, but a broader societal reckoning with power, silence, and justice.