Disgraced entertainment mogul Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison for rape and two counts of sexual assault.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench handed down Weinstein’s sentence on Thursday.
Before he was sentenced, Weinstein addressed the court and said, “I maintain that I’m innocent.”
“This is about money and coming after me,” Weinstein continued. “Please don’t sentence me to life in prison. I don’t deserve it… There are so many things wrong with this case. There is no evidence… This is a setup… I beg your mercy.”
Weinstein has long maintained that the sexual acts were consensual. His defense asked the court to look at the man he was “before he became accused as a sexual predator” and said that he has “become a caricature because of the #MeToo movement,” according to a report from Variety.
“He’s a 70-year-old man in bad health,” his lawyer Mark Werksman argued. “He lived a full, rich and productive life that included being a father five children… He has become to his children the disembodied voice on the telephone.”
The lawyer pointed to Weinstein’s accomplishments in the entertainment industry and charitable donations to argue for a lighter sentence.
“Mr. Weinstein did a lot of good for a lot of people in a 50-year career,” Werksman said. “He produced hundreds of films that were a joy to millions of people… He was a man that many famous movie stars would thank in their Oscar speeches… He gave generously to charities and political causes.”
The charges stemmed from an encounter with a woman in his hotel room during a music festival.
The jury deliberated for nine days before returning a verdict in the case.
The Hill reports, “Weinstein was acquitted of sexual battery against one woman, and the jury could not reach a verdict on other charges related to interactions with another accuser and with Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.”
Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence after being convicted in 2020 of a criminal sexual act and third-degree rape in New York for non-consensually performing oral sex on a production assistant in 2006 and raping an actress in 2013.
In August, the New York Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal over his conviction.
Weinstein’s publicist, Juda Engelmayer, said at the time, “We are hopeful and grateful for this rare opportunity.”
The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments this year.
