Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is considering a guilty plea to avoid a third rape trial in New York, with a judge setting Mar. 3 as the tentative trial date on Thursday.
Manhattan Judge Curtis Farber instructed Weinstein’s attorneys to inform prosecutors within two weeks whether their client intends to enter a guilty plea to third-degree rape charges involving actress Jessica Mann. The charge stems from allegations that Weinstein raped Mann at a Manhattan hotel in March 2013.
The development comes after Farber denied Weinstein’s request to overturn his June 2025 conviction for sexually assaulting Mimi Haley, a former production assistant. Weinstein’s legal team had argued that jurors experienced intimidation and pressure during deliberations, according to the New York Times.
Despite discussions of a potential plea deal, Weinstein maintained his innocence in court. “I know I was unfaithful, I know I acted wrongly, but I never assaulted anyone,” the 73-year-old told the judge. He described his incarceration at Rikers Island as a “slow march to my death,” citing declining health and difficult conditions.
Prosecutor Nicole Blumberg indicated that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office would consider a plea agreement if Weinstein accepts responsibility for the charges against Mann. However, no specific plea deal has been offered yet.
Mann, an aspiring actress, testified that she met Weinstein at a Hollywood event around 2013. According to her testimony, the charged rape occurred in March 2013 when she was in New York City with friends and had arranged to meet Weinstein for breakfast. She claimed that Weinstein arrived early and checked into a hotel room. When she questioned why he needed a room, given that he owned a Manhattan apartment, he told her not to embarrass him in public.
Once inside the hotel room, Mann testified that she tried to leave, but Weinstein forcibly held the door shut, grabbed her arms, and ordered her to undress. She said Weinstein then went to the bathroom and injected himself with what appeared to be erectile dysfunction medication before proceeding to have non-consensual intercourse with her. “This is the moment where I just gave up,” Mann testified, describing herself as “very defeated inside and very scared.”
Haley’s allegations involve a July 2006 incident at Weinstein’s Soho apartment. The former production assistant testified that she repeatedly told Weinstein “no” and informed him she was menstruating, but he pushed her onto a bed and restrained her, NBC News reported.
Haley described how Weinstein removed her tampon and forcibly performed oral sex on her despite her protests. “The unthinkable was happening,” she recalled on the witness stand. She testified that she felt too ashamed and fearful of Weinstein’s power to report the assault to police at the time.
This would mark Weinstein’s third trial in New York. He was initially convicted of rape and criminal sexual assault in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. That conviction was overturned by a state appeals court in 2024.
His second trial in June 2025 resulted in a mixed verdict. The jury convicted him of criminal sexual assault against Haley, acquitted him of charges involving model Kaja Sokola, and deadlocked on the rape charge involving Mann, leading to a mistrial on that count.
Mann has said she is ready to testify again. “I told the attorney I ready, able to do this as many times as it takes for justice and accountability to be served,” she stated following the mistrial.
Weinstein is also serving a 16-year sentence from a separate 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles, which he is currently appealing, as per Variety.
Originally published on Enstarz
