Hollywood Responds To Weinstein Conviction: 'A Man Who Doesn't Deserve Bail'

By Alice Hudson
Former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted on Monday (24 Feb) of 2 counts of sexual assault following a heavily publicised trial. The 67-year-old is set to be sentenced on the 11th of March.
The movie producer was acquitted of two counts of predatory sexual assault, which could have seen him serve a life sentence. However, he was convicted of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act, and may serve up to 29 years in prison for these offences.
Twitter has seen an outpouring of responses from celebrities in the wake of his conviction, including many of the women who spoke out against him.
Actress Ashley Judd was one of the first women to accuse Weinstein when she went on record against him in a New York Times article. She said following his conviction: “For the women who testified in this case, and walked through traumatic hell, you did a public service for girls and women everywhere.”

Mira Sorvino spoke out against Weinstein, accusing him of sexual harassment and attempting to derail her career after she rejected his advances. The actress has been considered one of the ‘Silence Breakers’ – the women how spoke out against Harvey Weinstein. She said: “The beginning of #justice. More to come, my sisters.”

Harvey Weinstein was accused of raping actress Rose McGowan, who tweeted: “I’m proud of the brave women who testified, they have taken out a monster on earth. Thank you to the prosecutor & jury who said not one more. Thank you to the public for examining things more deeply. I can finally exhale.”

Reporter Ronan Farrow’s work for The New Yorker in 2017 is credited with helping to uncover the abuse that Weinstein had been committing. Farrow said that Monday’s convictions had come at “great personal cost and risk” to many, and asked people to “please keep those women in your thoughts today.”

 
‘Top Chef’ host Padma Lakshmi said: “If there’s a man who doesn’t deserve bail, it’s him.”

Actress Reese Witherspoon: “Today’s historic win in the Weinstein trial is a testament to the bravery and resilience of the #SilenceBreakers, and a victory for survivors everywhere. This is just the beginning.”

Author and activist Naomi Klein: “I’m so grateful to all the women who risked their safety and well being to tell the truth about Harvey Weinstein, his enablers and protectors. They are heroes.”

Ana Navarro-Cárdenas, political commentator: “Grateful to all the courageous victims – and the villages that supported them – for stepping up and sharing your painful experiences so #Weinstein would be held accountable. You have inspired and made a difference in the lives of many.”