Many prominent women in Hollywood celebrated the 23-year prison sentence former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein got on Wednesday after he was convicted in New York for rape and sexual assault.
Actor Mira Sorvino, who has said Weinstein sexually assaulted her, said she cried "tears of amazement" upon learning of the sentence.
“23 years. Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for his crimes of rape and sexual assault," she tweeted. "I literally cried tears of amazement, gratitude that the justice system has worked on behalf of all of his victims today.”
23 years. Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for his crimes of rape and sexual assault. I literally cried tears of amazement, gratitude that the justice system has worked on behalf of all of his victims today.
Sorvino has been vocal about Weinstein’s downfall on Twitter after she said he invited her to his hotel room and massaged her in 1995 while promoting the film Mighty Aphrodite. Director Peter Jackson, known for the The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, said he didn’t cast Sorvino or actor Ashley Judd in his films on the advice of Weinstein, confirming the actors' speculation that Weinstein derailed their careers.
The Silence Breakers, a group of women who have accused Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment, released a statement saying Weinstein’s legacy "will always be that he’s a convicted rapist."
"He is going to jail — but no amount of jail time will repair the lives he ruined, the careers he destroyed, or the damage he has caused," the group said.
The Silence Breakers, which includes Judd, Rosanna Arquette, and Rose McGowan, added that while the New York trial has ended, their "crusade for cultural change, justice and to have our voices heard" persists.
McGowan, who has been incredibly outspoken about Weinstein and was one of the first on the record to accuse him, simply tweeted, "Let us be free."
Arquette also tweeted her own statement: “Gratitude to all the silence breakers especially Rose and all survivors of weinstein to the brave women who testified and to the incredible investigative reporting of Ronan farrow who uncovered the sabotage and spying and to david Remnick thank you Rich McKuen and ny times.”
Rosie Perez, who corroborated Annabella Sciorra’s allegations in the trial against Weinstein, also tweeted about the sentencing.
“23yrs!!! Convicted and Sentenced!” she wrote. “Today the world shifted that much more for justice! May my dear friend Annabella Sciorra and all these brave women continue to heal and finally find some peace with this victory! #HarveyWeinsteinGuilty.”
Jessica Barth, another woman who accused Weinstein, wrote #JUSTICE in a tweet about the former Hollywood producer’s sentencing.
Weinstein had faced a maximum sentence of 29 years in prison. A jury found him guilty of first-degree criminal sex act and third-degree rape, but acquitted him on more serious charges of predatory sexual assault that could have meant life in prison. Weinstein will be held at Rikers Island until he’s transferred to the custody of the state's corrections department and then to a state prison facility, a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Corrections told BuzzFeed News.
Speaking out in court Wednesday, Weinstein said he was “remorseful” and that his empathy had grown over the past two and a half years. However, he also compared the #MeToo movement to the Red Scare.
In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance thanked the court “for imposing a sentence that puts sexual predators and abusive partners in all segments of society on notice." He also thanked Weinstein’s victims for speaking out.
“Harvey Weinstein deployed nothing less than an army of spies to keep them silent. But they refused to be silent, and they were heard,” Vance said. “Their words took down a predator and put him behind bars, and gave hope to survivors of sexual violence all across the world.”