Harvey Weinstein Rape Charge Ends in Mistrial After Juror Walkout

Judge declares mistrial in Jessica Mann’s rape case as foreperson refuses to deliberate; Weinstein’s legal battles continue amid health decline

A rape charge involving Harvey Weinstein and actress Jessica Mann ended in a mistrial Friday, after a juror refused to return to the deliberation room, fracturing the already divided jury in the high-profile case.

The decision by Judge Curtis Farber to declare a mistrial comes just one day after Weinstein, 73, was convicted of forcing oral sex on TV production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006, but acquitted on similar charges involving former model Kaja Sokola.

Deliberations had dragged on for five days with reported “yelling” and threats of violence behind closed doors, according to the judge. By Thursday, tensions peaked when the jury foreperson said they would no longer participate in deliberations, leading the court to halt the proceedings on Mann’s third-degree rape charge.

---

Jessica Mann: “I’ve Had Only My Voice”

Jessica Mann, 39, had accused the disgraced movie mogul of raping her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. Her case was originally part of Weinstein’s 2020 conviction, which was overturned in 2023 by the New York Court of Appeals due to the inclusion of testimony from women not directly connected to the charges.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Mann spoke powerfully about the emotional cost of coming forward:
“Coming forward cost me everything — my privacy, my safety. I laid bare my trauma… Still, I stood up and told the truth. Again and again.”

She continued, “I didn’t speak up to ruin his life. He did that. I spoke because mine matters.”

---

Weinstein’s Health and Legal Future

Weinstein, who was diagnosed with leukemia last year, appeared weary and desperate in court, pleading with Judge Farber to expedite proceedings.
“I want this to be over with. Every day is a struggle,” he said.

Despite this week’s New York mistrial on the Mann charge, Weinstein still faces substantial prison time. He remains convicted in California after a 2022 trial found him guilty of raping an actress in a Beverly Hills hotel, resulting in a 16-year sentence. That conviction stands, even as his legal team pursues appeals.

Weinstein’s team had hoped a new trial on Mann’s case might clear his name further, but with the mistrial, prosecutors must now decide whether to retry the charge or move on.

---

Turmoil in the Jury Room

Reports indicate that tensions among the 12 jurors had been mounting. Judge Farber revealed that deliberations had devolved into verbal altercations, with one juror allegedly threatening another. When the foreperson ultimately refused to return, the remaining 11 jurors were left without direction, prompting the court to act.

The collapse of this part of the case underscores the difficulties in prosecuting high-profile sex crimes—particularly those involving celebrities with long histories of power and influence.

---

A Legacy of Conviction and Controversy

Harvey Weinstein, once a titan of Hollywood, has become a symbol of the #MeToo era’s reckoning with abuse of power in the entertainment industry. His multiple accusers, including Mann, Haley, and others, have testified in harrowing detail about his alleged crimes.

Though this latest legal twist may appear as a setback, Weinstein remains behind bars—and Mann’s words serve as a reminder of the broader movement her voice represents.