Harvey Weinstein reported feeling chest pains as the jury began deliberating his rape retrial, his lawyers confirmed. The 74-year-old former movie mogul, who has been imprisoned since 2020 and uses a wheelchair due to various health issues, experienced the discomfort as court was ending early for the day.
Jury Deliberations Underway
Jurors commenced deliberations on Wednesday, deciding whether Weinstein raped Jessica Mann, a hairstylist and actor, in a Manhattan hotel on March 18, 2013. After less than four hours of deliberation, the jury requested to revisit specific evidence: one page of Mann's testimony and a lengthy PowerPoint file created by prosecutors to timeline emails and other evidence.
Health Incident in Court
Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo stated that court officers informed him of Weinstein's chest pains. No further medical details were immediately provided. Judge Curtis Farber dismissed the jury about an hour early, citing “unforeseen reasons” for the change. Both prosecutors and Weinstein's lawyers left the courtroom to avoid drawing attention to Weinstein's absence.
Background of the Case
Mann, now 40, testified that she and Weinstein had a consensual relationship but that he subjected her to unwanted sex after she repeatedly refused. Weinstein's lawyers argue the encounter was consensual, emphasizing that Mann continued seeing him and expressing warmth afterward. Mann explained she was “normalizing everything” and had complicated feelings about the situation.
Her perspective shifted in 2017 when numerous sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement. Weinstein has admitted to “acting wrongly” but denies assault. Some allegations led to criminal convictions in New York and California, but his 2020 New York conviction was overturned on appeal. A retrial last year ended in a hung jury on Mann's charges, leading to this second retrial. He faces one count of third-degree rape.
The current jury heard nearly three weeks of testimony, including five days from Mann. Weinstein chose not to testify.
