In a major victory for #MeToo advocates, disgraced Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein was handed a 23-year prison sentence on two charges of rape and sexual assault in his New York criminal trial on Wednesday morning.
At age 67, Weinstein will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars while serving the sentence.
The prominent film executive faced a maximum prison sentence of 29 years after he was found guilty of raping a woman in 2013 and forcing oral sex on another woman in 2006. He was cleared of three predatory sexual assault charges.
The emergence of women’s allegations against Weinstein in 2017 kicked off the #MeToo movement, which became a turning point for victims of sexual harassment, assault and misconduct who had been silenced for fear of retaliation or other consequences that come from speaking out against powerful figures.
