Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 23 years in prison

Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday following his sexual assault and rape conviction last month in a case hailed as a victory for the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct, after he made an unrepentant statement to the court.

The sentence was handed down in Manhattan criminal court by Justice James Burke, who presided over Weinstein's trial. A jury on Feb. 24 found Weinstein, 67, guilty of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann.

"I feel remorse for all of the men who are going through this fight," Weinstein told the court before he was sentenced.

Weinstein said he was worried about "thousands of men" being denied due process in the #MeToo era. In a rambling statement, he said he was "confused" and that he believed he had a "serious friendship" with Mann and Haleyi.

Once one of Hollywood's most influential producers, Weinstein had faced the possibility of a maximum sentence of 29 years in prison.

Reuters