A court in New York sentenced Harvey Weinstein, a former Hollywood film producer whose case sparked a worldwide movement against sexual abuse, to 15 years in prison on Wednesday, according to a report by NBC News.

Weinstein, 74, was found guilty last year of sexually assaulting Miriam Haley, a former production assistant on a US television show, at his New York apartment in 2006.

Judge Curtis Farber told Weinstein that he had used force against the victim and had never accepted responsibility for his actions. After serving his prison term, Weinstein will be monitored by authorities for five years and must register as a sex offender.

Haley spoke in court and said the assault had seriously harmed her life. Weinstein, who attended the hearing in a wheelchair, again denied the accusations but apologized to anyone he may have hurt, according to the report.

For decades, Weinstein was one of the most influential figures in Hollywood. His companies produced and distributed well-known films such as "Pulp Fiction," "The King's Speech" and "The Artist." He won an Academy Award, the film industry's top prize, as a producer of "Shakespeare in Love."

His career collapsed in 2017, when The New York Times and The New Yorker magazine published investigations into allegations that he had sexually harassed and assaulted women for years. More than 80 women, including actresses and former employees, have since accused him of sexual misconduct.

The reports led to the #MeToo movement, in which women around the world shared their experiences of sexual harassment and abuse, often by powerful men in business, politics and entertainment. The movement led to investigations and firings in many countries.

Weinstein said all his sexual relationships were consensual.

Long legal battle

Weinstein was arrested in 2018 and has since remained in custody.

A New York jury first convicted him in 2020, and he was sentenced to 23 years in prison. In 2024, however, New York's highest court overturned the conviction and ordered a new trial.

In the 2025 retrial, the jury again found him guilty in Haley's case but acquitted him of a second criminal sexual act charge involving former model Kaja Sokola. Jurors could not agree on a rape charge involving former actress Jessica Mann. A third trial on that charge also ended without a verdict, and prosecutors decided in June not to pursue the case again.

Weinstein faces a separate case in the state of California. A Los Angeles court convicted him in 2022 of rape and two counts of sexual assault and sentenced him to 16 years in prison. A California appeals court upheld his convictions but ordered him to be resentenced, overturning the original sentence. (AA)