Harvey Weinstein will not stand trial for a fourth time in New York after Manhattan prosecutors announced they were dropping the latest unresolved rape charge against the disgraced movie mogul. The decision comes after Jessica Mann, the woman at the center of the remaining count, told prosecutors she did not want to testify again after years of legal proceedings. Although the measure puts an end to the long-running retrial of Harvey Weinstein in New York, he is expected to remain behind bars for years due to his existing convictions in both New York and California.
On Thursday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced that prosecutors would no longer pursue a new trial on the remaining third-degree rape charge. “Today, after discussions with Jessica Mann, who does not wish to testify again, and consistent with our survivor-centered approach to prosecutions, we informed the court that we will not retry the remaining count of third-degree rape,” Bragg said.
“Given Ms. Mann’s position, and in recognition of Mr. Weinstein’s Class B felony conviction for violently sexually assaulting Miriam Haley, we will not proceed with a fourth trial and have therefore moved to dismiss the remaining charges,” he added.
Bragg also reiterated his office’s support for Mann. “We believe Ms. Mann’s story and her credibility as a witness,” the prosecutor said, praising her “honesty and her enormous courage.”
Prosecutors want Weinstein to receive a 20-year prison sentence
Although prosecutors dropped the remaining rape charges, they are still seeking a lengthy prison sentence related to Weinstein’s conviction for the sexual assault of former production assistant Miriam Haley.
“We also shared our recommendation to the court that Mr. Weinstein be sentenced to 20 years in prison, which would account for the significant harm his actions caused Ms. Haley,” Bragg’s office said.
The recommendation comes after Weinstein was convicted at his 2025 retrial of one count of first-degree criminal sexual act involving Haley.
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers call the decision a victory
Weinstein’s legal team welcomed Thursday’s announcement, describing it as the outcome they believe should have happened from the start.
“Harvey is relieved by today’s outcome,” a representative for Weinstein said. “We believe that this is the outcome that should have been achieved from the beginning if the grand jury had been provided with the full scope of the emails, text messages and other private communications.”
The defense also confirmed that it plans to challenge any lengthy prison sentence. “We will be submitting our sentencing materials in the coming weeks,” the statement continued. “As we argued after the original trial, we believe that the previous sentence imposed by Judge Burke was excessive, and we intend to challenge the prosecutor’s sentencing recommendations.”
The representative added: “Harvey has been a model prisoner for nearly seven years, and we believe that record, along with the other relevant factors, should be given significant weight in sentencing.”
The retrial against Weinstein followed his overturned conviction
The latest chapter in Weinstein’s legal battle began after New York’s highest court overturned his landmark 2020 conviction in April 2024. The court ruled that testimony from women whose accusations were not directly related to the charges improperly influenced the jury and ordered a new trial.
That new trial concluded in June 2025 with a divided verdict. Weinstein was convicted of a first-degree criminal sex act involving Miriam Haley, acquitted on Kaja Sokola’s charges, and the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on Jessica Mann’s rape charge.
With jurors still deadlocked on the Mann charge, Judge Curtis Farber declared a mistrial on the charge in May, leaving prosecutors to decide whether to pursue a fourth trial. Thursday’s announcement officially ends that possibility.
Harvey Weinstein remains behind bars
Despite the dismissal of the remaining charges in New York, Weinstein is not expected to be released from prison anytime soon. In addition to his conviction in New York involving Haley, so is the former Hollywood producer serving a sentence which stems from his 2022 conviction in Los Angeles on charges of multiple sex crimes.
Weinstein has consistently denied the allegations committed against him and has maintained his innocence throughout the numerous criminal proceedings.
His lawyers continue to appeal the conviction in California as they prepare arguments for his upcoming sentencing in New York.
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