Harvey Weinstein 'did what he wanted', says prosecutor as rape retrial begins

Harvey Weinstein used his influence in Hollywood to prey on women, a prosecutor has told a New York jury as a rape charge returned to court for a third time.

Weinstein, 74, was once one of the most powerful people in the industry, producing films such as the Oscar-winning Shakespeare In Love, Pulp Fiction, and The Crying Game.

Since becoming a focus of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct nearly a decade ago, he has been convicted of some sexual assault charges and acquitted of others in trials on two US coasts.

The retrial that began on Tuesday concerns a rape charge over a 2013 encounter in a Manhattan hotel. It has already been the subject of an overturned conviction, followed by a jury deadlock.

The disgraced filmmaker has again pleaded not guilty and denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex.

Prosecutor Candace White began the new trial telling jurors that Weinstein raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann in the hotel room while she resisted and repeatedly said "No".

"This case will come down to power, to control and to manipulation," Ms White said, accusing Weinstein of preying upon "fragile and sheltered" young women who dream of becoming Hollywood stars.

Jacob Kaplan, defending, accused Ms Mann of making up the rape allegation after regretting that her relationship with Weinstein failed to advance her acting career.

He told the jury in his opening statement that emails would show Ms Mann's romance with Epstein was consensual, adding: "In the end, this case will be her word against her word."

Ms White said that Weinstein "was used to getting his way".

"He did what he wanted, when he wanted and with whom he wanted," she added. "Behind closed doors, power meant him taking what he wanted from the victim in this case."

Weinstein shook his head slightly at one point as the prosecutor claimed he "silenced" Ms Mann by letting her know that crossing him could be professional quicksand.

His defence emphasised that after the alleged rape Ms Mann kept seeing Weinstein, accepting invitations, asking him for career help and sending warm messages to him.

Weinstein was convicted of raping Ms Mann in 2013 and assaulting onetime production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006, but New York's highest court overturned the conviction and Weinstein's 23-year prison sentence after ruling he didn't get a fair trial.

In June 2025, a jury then convicted Weinstein of sexually abusing Ms Haley, but found him not guilty of assaulting former model Kaja Sokola.

That jury was unable to reach a verdict on the third-degree rape charge relating to Ms Mann, leading to the judge declaring a mistrial on that count.

The latest trial, before Justice Curtis Farber, is expected to last about a month.

Weinstein will face a prison sentence of up to 25 years when he is sentenced for abusing Ms Haley.

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Weinstein is also serving a 16-year prison sentence after being convicted of rape in California ​in 2022. He is appealing that conviction and sentence.

Weinstein's lawyers ​say his health has deteriorated rapidly while he has been imprisoned in ​New York's notorious Rikers Island jail.

(c) Sky News 2026: Harvey Weinstein 'did what he wanted', says prosecutor as rape retrial begins