Ashley Judd looked somber as she stepped out in New York City on Friday – one day after one of Harvey Weinstein rape convictions was overturned.
Weinstein, 72, has been serving 23 years in a New York jail for two sex attacks against aspiring actress Jessica Mann and another involving production assistant Mimi Haleyi.
He was convicted in 2020 but the New York Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the disgraced producer did not receive a fair trial.
‘This is unfair to survivors. We live in our truth. We know what happened,’ Judd, who was the first to come forward with allegations against Weinstein, wrote on Instagram.
The star wore a white dress, sunglasses and backpack as she walked in Manhattan hours after speaking out.
Ashley Judd looked somber as she stepped out in New York City on Friday – one day after one of Harvey Weinstein rape convictions was overturned
Judd led Harvey Weinstein accusers in criticising the decision to overturn one of the pervert movie mogul’s rape convictions, saying it was ‘a hard day for survivors’
Weinstein (pictured in January), 72, has been serving 23 years in a New York jail for the two sex attacks against aspiring actress Jessica Mann and production assistant Mimi Haleyi after his conviction in 2020
The actress later told the BBC: ‘Oftentimes survivors say that the betrayal and the moral injury we suffer within the system is worse than the sexual body invasion we experienced in the first place.’
Weinstein became the face of the #MeToo movement after dozens of women came forward alleging sexual abuse. Thursday’s decision was described as ‘profoundly unjust’ by his accusers.
Filmmaker and founder of Hire Survivors Hollywood, Sarah Ann Masse, who said she was sexually assaulted by Weinstein, said the overturning of his conviction was ‘a devastating but unsurprising miscarriage of justice.’
‘I just want to remind people that this overturning of this verdict does not erase his guilt and does not mean that anyone that came forward was not telling the truth, or that what they did wasn’t valuable,’ she told Good Morning Britain.
Masse added that this was ‘just a glitch in the system’, which could see victims having to ‘go through it all again’ in a retrial.
Former actress and musical director Louisette Geiss, who came forward in 2017 accusing Weinstein of sexually harassing her in 2008, told the breakfast show that it was ‘soul crushing’ because of ‘how challenging it is to actually testify against him and to have to look at him and have to do all the work that it takes to prepare yourself to testify against him.’
She added that she was advocating for people to ‘speak up and to fight legislation and state by state.’
‘We have to, we have to strengthen it and we have to make sure that what happened in New York does not happen again. I mean, it’s absolutely ridiculous,’ Geiss said.
The star wore a white dress, sunglasses and backpack as she walked in Manhattan hours after speaking out
Judd told the BBC: ‘Oftentimes survivors say that the betrayal and the moral injury we suffer within the system is worse than the sexual body invasion we experienced in the first place’ (pictured: Ashley Judd, Vince Vaughn and Harvey Weinstein, right, in 1997)
Masse, who claimed Weinstein sexually assaulted her when she interviewed to be his nanny, added: ‘We’re survivors, we’re leading this charge and legislative change is deeply important.’
‘This is a very sad day for countless women who suffered at the hands of a serial predator,’ Siebel Newsom, who testified against Weinstein in California as one of his victims, said on Thursday.
‘Two juries have said unequivocally: Harvey Weinstein must never be able to rape another woman, and he deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Harvey Weinstein is a serial predator and rapist.’
American actress Mira Sorvino, who previously made allegations against Weinstein and won an Oscar for Mighty Aphrodite, tweeted that she was ‘disgusted’ at the justice system and ‘horrified’.
‘Harvey was rightfully convicted. It’s unfortunate that the court has overturned his conviction. As a survivor, I am beyond disappointed,’ Rosanna Arquette, actress and Weinstein accuser, told The Hollywood Reporter.
‘Woke up to this news. I feel more than ever how important it is to keep breaking silence about sexual predators, and to keep supporting victims as they speak out,’ Weinstein accuser and actress Katherine Kendall wrote on Instagram.
Rose McGowan, actress and Weinstein accuser, added: ‘They will never overturn who we are.’
Model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez said on X: ‘This is an ongoing failure of the justice system – and the courts – to take survivors seriously and to protect our interests.
Filmmaker and founder of Hire Survivors Hollywood, Sarah Ann Masse (pictured), who said she was sexually assaulted by Weinstein, said the overturning of his conviction was ‘a devastating but unsurprising miscarriage of justice’
Former actress and musical director Louisette Geiss (pictured), who came forward in 2017 accusing Weinstein of sexually harassing her in 2008, told the breakfast show that it was ‘soul crushing’
‘This is a very sad day for countless women who suffered at the hands of a serial predator,’ Jennifer Newsom, who testified, said
Mira Sorvino, one of the first actresses who claimed she was victimized by the former mogul, called the court’s decision ‘horrifying’
Weinstein was convicted in 2020 of raping Jessica Mann (pictured at court in 2020) at her home in Manhattan in 2013
He was also convicted of sexually assaulting production assistant Mimi Haleyi, seen walking into his sentencing in New York in 2020
Justice James M. Burke, seen in a court sketch in 2020, was blamed for a ‘crucial’ mistake in Weinstein’s New York trial
Soprano’s actress Annabella Sciorra (right) seen with friend Rosie Perez was among six women to take to the stand in the New York trial
Former ‘Project Runway’ production assistant Haleyi, the woman Weinstein was convicted of sexually assaulting in 2006, recounted during her testimony how the film mogul forcibly performed oral sex on her while she had her period at his SoHo apartment
‘(Manhattan District Attorney Alvin) Bragg ran for office in 2021 because his predecessor failed so many of us. We expect him to pursue Weinstein now.’
Double Jeopardy star Judd added: ‘This today is an act of institutional betrayal.
‘And our institutions betray survivors of male sexual violence, and we need to work within and without the systems to start having what is known as ‘institutional courage’.’
Judd, 56, previously alleged she thought she was attending a breakfast hotel meeting in 1997, while filming the thriller Kiss The Girls, when Weinstein began pressuring her to give and receive massages and to watch him shower.
In a bid to get out of the bathroom, she claims she resorted to striking a deal with him that she would say ‘yes’ to his advances when she won an Oscar for one of his films.
In 2019, the United States District Court in Los Angeles dismissed a sexual harassment claim made by Judd against Weinstein in which she said he defamed her, damaging her career.
Weinstein’s 23-year sentence was overturned in a 4-3 decision as the New York Court of Appeals found the trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that were not part of the case.
New York’s Court of Appeals found the trial judge in the rape case prejudiced Weinstein with ‘egregious’ improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that Weinstein wasn’t charged with.
The court’s majority said it was an ‘abuse of judicial discretion’ for Judge James Burke to allow testimony from these other women about ‘loathsome alleged bad acts and despicable behavior.’
‘Without question, this is appalling, shameful, repulsive conduct that could only diminish defendant’s character before the jury,’ they said.
The founder of #MeToo, Tarana Burke, has said the decision to overturn Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction is a ‘clarion call’ for the movement.
On Thursday, American activist Burke, 50, addressed the court’s decision at a press conference and said it was ‘not a blow’ to the #MeToo movement.
Harvey Weinstein accuser Lauren Marie Young leaves Manhattan Criminal Court in 2020. Her testimony was also part of the evidence deemed ‘unfair’
Costume designer Dawn Dunning, seen in this court sketch, was among the women who took to the stand to allege sexual assault despite her claims not forming part of the criminal complaint
Dunning (L) pictured with another Weinstein accuser, Tarale Wulff, claimed that Weinstein sexually harassed her and tried to pressure her into having a three-way with him
Weinstein was jailed for 23 years over the New York attacks, but this latest court ruling has now overturned the convictions. Pictured: Weinstein in February 2020 arriving for trial at Manhattan Criminal Court
The 4-3 decision was handed down by New York Court of Appeals judge Jenny Rivera (pictured)
‘Many people, many survivors and those who love and support survivors probably thought that that original verdict meant that there was going to be a change, that it marked a change, marked a difference in how this justice system was going to move and operate’, she said.
‘And I think that we felt, and a lot of us felt, that we were on a road to seeing a different America. And this moment makes it feel like we were wrong.’
She added: ‘What does this mean for the MeToo movement? I want you to hear this. This is not a blow to the movement. It is a clarion call. And we are prepared to answer that call.’
Allegations against Weinstein, 72, the once powerful and feared studio boss behind Oscar winners such as Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare In Love, ushered in a global £MeToo movement in 2017, where women across the world shared experiences with sexual assault.
After his conviction in 2020, Weinstein was handed a further 16 years following his conviction in Los Angeles in 2022, which his team is also appealing.
Louisette Geiss said it made her happy ‘that we fought the good fight here in California and that he has 16 years to spend a year in prison in California… I hope that this one stays because he definitely deserves at least 16 years.’
During a press conference, Weinstein’s lawyer Arthur Aidala called the Court of Appeal’s ruling ‘a great day for America’.
‘It may sound like an exaggeration but it’s not. Today’s legal ruling is a great day for America because it instils in us the faith that there is a justice system,’ he said on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said: ‘We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault.’
Weinstein, will remain imprisoned because he was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 of another rape and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
He maintains he is innocent of the charges of criminal sex acts involving forced oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and rape in the third degree for an attack on an aspiring actress in 2013. He said any sex was consensual.
Weinstein’s spokesman Juda Engelmayer said the producer ‘has a long road ahead of him, and we see this as a positive sign going forward’.
He added: ‘We are cautiously excited for the decision, and believe it is a long time overdue.’
