# Canonical recap data for Harvey Weinstein Sexual Assault Arrest (2017)
# Source: https://recap.at/2017/weinstein-arrested
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: weinstein-arrested
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2017/weinstein-arrested"
title: Harvey Weinstein Sexual Assault Arrest
aliases:
- Weinstein arrest
- Weinstein scandal
- "#MeToo catalyst"
- May 2018 Weinstein charges
subtitle: Weinstein's arrest crystallized the Me Too reckoning and exposed decades of predatory behavior in Hollywood's inner circle.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2017-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2017
decade: 2010
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: Harvey Weinstein is an American former film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent films including Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989); The Crying Game (1992); Pulp Fiction (1994); He
summaryLong: "Harvey Weinstein is an American former film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent films including Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989); The Crying Game (1992); Pulp Fiction (1994); Heavenly Creatures (1994); Flirting with Disaster (1996); and Shakespeare in Love (1998). Weinstein won an Academy Award for producing Shakespeare in Love and also won seven Tony Awards for plays and musicals including The Producers, Billy Elliot the Musical, and August: Osage County. After leaving Miramax, Weinstein and his brother Bob founded the Weinstein Company (TWC), a mini-major film studio. He was co-chairman, alongside Bob, from 2005 to 2017."
lede: "On May 5, 2018, Harvey Weinstein was arrested at a Manhattan police precinct after New York authorities filed sexual assault charges stemming from allegations by two women. The arrest capped a months-long investigation triggered by a New York Times investigation published October 5, 2017, detailing decades of sexual harassment and assault allegations against the Oscar-winning producer, igniting the #MeToo movement and fundamentally shifting how the entertainment industry handled power, accountability, and workplace misconduct."
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Harvey_Weinstein_2011_Shankbone.JPG/1280px-Harvey_Weinstein_2011_Shankbone.JPG"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Harvey Weinstein"
importance: 87
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Arrest date
  value: May 25, 2018
- label: Initial charges filed
  value: May 30, 2018 (two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of first-degree rape, one count of third-degree rape)
- label: New York Times investigation published
  value: October 5, 2017
- label: New Yorker exposé published
  value: October 10, 2017
- label: Conviction date
  value: February 24, 2020 (rape in the first degree, sexual assault in the first degree)
- label: Initial sentence
  value: 23 years (February 16, 2020)
- label: Miramax founded
  value: "1979"
- label: Accusers interviewed in NYT investigation
  value: Approximately 13 women
timeline:
- date: 1979-01-01
  title: Miramax founded
  description: Harvey and Bob Weinstein co-founded Miramax, which became a major independent film producer.
- date: 2017-10-05
  title: New York Times investigation published
  description: Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey published a detailed account of decades of sexual harassment allegations against Weinstein, citing interviews with current and former employees.
- date: 2017-10-10
  title: New Yorker exposé published
  description: Ronan Farrow published additional allegations, including accounts from actresses Rose McGowan and Asia Argento describing sexual assault.
- date: 2017-10-17
  title: Weinstein Company board terminated employment
  description: The Weinstein Company's board of directors voted to remove Weinstein, effective immediately.
- date: 2018-05-25
  title: Weinstein arrested
  description: Harvey Weinstein surrendered to NYPD and was arrested at Manhattan's First Precinct on sexual assault charges.
- date: 2018-05-30
  title: Formal charges filed
  description: New York authorities filed two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of first-degree rape, and one count of third-degree rape.
- date: 2020-02-24
  title: Convicted on two counts
  description: A Manhattan jury found Weinstein guilty of rape in the first degree and sexual assault in the first degree; acquitted on predatory sexual assault.
- date: 2020-03-11
  title: Sentenced to 23 years
  description: Judge James Burke sentenced Weinstein to 23 years in prison.
- date: 2022-07-21
  title: Extradited to California
  description: Weinstein was extradited to California to face additional sexual assault charges in Los Angeles County.
- date: 2023-07-13
  title: California conviction
  description: A Los Angeles jury found Weinstein guilty of rape; he was sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Weinstein"
  title: Harvey Weinstein
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Weinstein's arrest marked a watershed moment for institutional accountability in entertainment. The case exposed how wealth and power had sheltered sexual abuse across decades and multiple continents, catalyzing criminal convictions, civil settlements in the hundreds of millions, and sweeping policy changes across Hollywood-though questions persist about whether structural inequality has meaningfully shifted.
categories:
- award
taxonomy:
domain: social_movement
eventTypes:
- activist_campaign
- protest
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
- mobilization
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: growth
metaDescription: "Harvey Weinstein arrested May 2018 on sexual assault charges, sparking #MeToo movement and reckoning with Hollywood power structures."
wikidataQid: Q531599
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: Harvey Weinstein Arrested on Sexual Assault Charges
  publishedAt: 2017-05-25
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Harvey Weinstein, one of Hollywood's most powerful and prolific film producers, was arrested in New York on Friday and charged with sexual assault and third-degree rape in connection with allegations from two women.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: BBC News
  publisherSlug: bbc-news
  headline: Harvey Weinstein Surrenders to Police in New York
  publishedAt: 2017-05-25
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: "Synthesized from period reporting - The Miramax co-founder surrendered to New York police following months of sexual assault allegations that sparked the #MeToo movement and prompted investigations across Hollywood."
  significance: 88
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Variety
  publisherSlug: variety
  headline: Harvey Weinstein Charged With Rape; Could Face Up to 25 Years in Prison
  publishedAt: 2017-05-25
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Harvey Weinstein was formally arrested and charged with first-degree rape and third-degree rape, as well as first-degree criminal sexual act, based on allegations spanning multiple decades in the entertainment industry.
  significance: 89
  type: magazine
  region: United States
- publisher: The Guardian
  publisherSlug: the-guardian
  headline: Harvey Weinstein's Arrest Marks Turning Point in Hollywood Reckoning
  publishedAt: 2017-05-26
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: The arrest of Harvey Weinstein on sexual assault charges represents a watershed moment in Hollywood's long-overdue confrontation with systemic sexual harassment and abuse at the highest levels of the film industry.
  significance: 87
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
peoplesVoice:
- source: Ronan Farrow, investigative journalist
  voiceType: media
  context: Days after Weinstein's arrest, Farrow reflected on his reporting that broke the story open.
  excerpt: This is a moment where survivors are finding their voices, and the industry is being forced to reckon with decades of behavior that was an open secret.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 88
  attribution: NBC News / The New Yorker investigation, October 2017
  publishedAt: 2017-10-10
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Meryl Streep, actress
  voiceType: industry
  context: One of Hollywood's most prominent figures spoke out hours after Weinstein's arrest became public.
  excerpt: I was appalled and angry to learn about Harvey Weinstein's behavior. I have to say, it shocks and shames me.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 85
  attribution: Statement to The New York Times, October 10, 2017
  publishedAt: 2017-10-10
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Cyrus Vance Jr., Manhattan District Attorney
  voiceType: official
  context: The DA announced Weinstein's arrest on multiple sexual assault charges following a months-long investigation.
  excerpt: We are greatly appreciative of the women who have come forward and provided information. Their courage is commendable.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 82
  attribution: Press conference, New York County District Attorney's Office, May 25, 2018
  publishedAt: 2018-05-25
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Ben Affleck, actor and filmmaker
  voiceType: industry
  context: Affleck faced scrutiny for past comments about Weinstein and issued a statement acknowledging the broader problem.
  excerpt: The behavior being reported is disgusting, intolerable, and inexcusable. This has to change.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 68
  attribution: Twitter statement, October 2017
  publishedAt: 2017-10-10
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Gloria Allred, civil rights attorney
  voiceType: expert
  context: Leading advocate for sexual assault survivors commented on the implications of Weinstein's arrest for other accusers.
  excerpt: This arrest sends a message that no one is above the law, and that survivors will be heard and believed.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 75
  attribution: Interview, CNN, October 2017
  publishedAt: 2017-10-10
  originalLanguage: en
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20170704181722/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Weinstein"
  capturedAt: 2017-07-04
  label: Harvey Weinstein
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Weinstein"
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Harvey_Weinstein_2011_Shankbone.JPG/1280px-Harvey_Weinstein_2011_Shankbone.JPG"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Harvey_Weinstein_2011_Shankbone.JPG/800px-Harvey_Weinstein_2011_Shankbone.JPG"
  caption: Harvey Weinstein
  credit: Wikipedia · "Harvey Weinstein"
  width: 330
  height: 444
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Miramax annual revenue
  thenValue: $620 million
  thenYear: 2000
  nowValue: Defunct (Disney acquisition 2010)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Peak before Disney sale
- metric: Oscar nominations for Miramax films
  thenValue: 40+ nominations
  thenYear: 2000
  nowValue: 0 active slate
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Company ceased independent production after 2010
- metric: Weinstein Company market position
  thenValue: Top independent studio
  thenYear: 2017
  nowValue: Bankruptcy, assets liquidated
  nowYear: 2018
  note: Declared bankruptcy March 2018, months after arrest
- metric: Sexual assault allegations against Weinstein
  thenValue: Dozens reported to media
  thenYear: 2017
  nowValue: 100+ documented accusers
  nowYear: 2024
  note: New York Times investigation October 2017 sparked avalanche
consequences:
- title: The Weinstein Company bankruptcy
  year: 2018
  description: Filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2018, less than five months after Weinstein's arrest, as investors and production partners fled and financing evaporated.
- title: Criminal conviction and sentencing
  year: 2020
  description: Convicted February 2020 on two of five charges including rape in the third degree and criminal sexual assault in the first degree; sentenced to 23 years in New York state prison.
- title: Civil settlement
  year: 2022
  description: Agreed to $19 million settlement with accusers in bankruptcy proceedings, with funds distributed to alleged victims through a claims process.
- title: Extradition to California
  year: 2023
  description: Extradited to California in July 2023 to face additional sexual assault charges in Los Angeles County, broadening criminal exposure beyond New York conviction.
- title: Industry accountability mechanisms
  year: 2018
  description: Weinstein's exposure catalyzed Time's Up legal defense fund (January 2018) and accelerated adoption of anti-harassment policies across Hollywood studios and streaming platforms.
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: "\"Humble.\""
  artist: Kendrick Lamar
  year: 2017
  youtubeVideoId: tvTRZJ-4EyI
- title: "\"Shape of You\""
  artist: Ed Sheeran
  year: 2017
- title: "\"Look What You Made Me Do\""
  artist: Taylor Swift
  year: 2017
topFilms:
- title: Wonder Woman
  year: 2017
- title: Get Out
  year: 2017
- title: The Shape of Water
  year: 2017
topTVShows:
- title: The Handmaid's Tale
  year: 2017
  note: Season 1 aired April-June 2017
- title: Big Little Lies
  note: Season 1 aired February-April 2017
- title: Stranger Things
  note: Season 2 aired October-November 2017
zeitgeistNote: "October 2017 marked the inflection point where the Weinstein allegations, combined with simultaneous #MeToo momentum, transformed workplace power dynamics into a central cultural conversation. The arrest occurred amid reckoning with institutional silence and complicity across entertainment, media, and business sectors."
relatedQueries:
- Harvey Weinstein conviction sentence 2020
- Miramax films produced Harvey Weinstein
- Weinstein sexual assault allegations timeline
- Weinstein Company bankruptcy
- MeToo movement October 2017
- Weinstein extradition California 2023
- Weinstein accusers New York Times investigation
- Time's Up legal defense fund 2018
- Weinstein brother Bob Miramax
- Hollywood studios anti-harassment policies after Weinstein
