Sunday 6/15 BONUS EPISODE - Special Sunday Edition: The Harvey Weinstein Retrial - From #MeToo to Mistrial

0:03 Callaroga Shark Media. Welcome to a special Sunday edition of Did He Do It? And I'm Garrett Fisher, taking a break from my coverage of the Sean Diddy Combs trial this Sunday morning. The courts are closed, but justice never sleeps, and neither do we. While we've been laser focused on the bombshell testimony coming out of the Ditty trial here in Manhattan, there's another landmark case that just took a stunning new twist, the Harvey Weinstein retrial. I was planning to cover Wednesday's split verdict, but breaking news just hit. Harvey Weinstein's rape charge ended in a mistrial on Thursday after the jury for person said he felt threatened by other jurors. This is an unprecedented turn in what was already one of the most dramatic retrials in Me too history.

0:56 I'm reporting from outside the same Manhattan Federal Courthouse where both trials have captivated the nation, and today I want to take you through the twists, turns, and ultimate resolution of a case that helped birth the Me Too movement and continues to redefine how we think about power abuse and accountability in America. Let me take you back to October twenty seventeen, when The New York Times and The New Yorker dropped what can only be described as nuclear bombs on Hollywood. Jody Canter, Megan two Hay, and Ronan Farrow published meticulously reported expose's that detailed decades of sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the Oscar winning producer behind hits like Shakespeare in Love, Pulp Fiction, and The English Patient. The allegations weren't just shocking, they were systematic.

1:48 More than eighty women eventually came forward, describing a pattern of abuse that spanned decades. The stories painted a picture of a man who used his immense power in Hollywood as a weapon, aspiring actresses and industry professionals into hotel rooms and private meetings where he allegedly committed sexual assault. These revelations didn't just destroy Weinstein's career, they ignited a cultural wildfire. Within days, the hashtag me too exploded across social media as women around the world shared their own stories of sexual harassment and assault. What started as allegations against one powerful man became a global reckoning, with sexual misconduct in workplaces everywhere Weinstein was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, fired from his own company, and became a pariah overnight. But the criminal justice system moves slower than the court of public opinion, and it would take years for the legal reckoning to arrive. In February twenty twenty, after months of intense media coverage and legal maneuvering, Harvey Weinstein stood trial in Manhattan Supreme Court.

2:58 The case was historic, the first major prosecutions of a powerful figure in the me Too era. The prosecution built their case around the testimony of six women, but the actual charges focused on two key accusers, Miriam Mimi Hailey, a former production assistant on Project Runway, and Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress. Hailey alleged that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her at his Soho apartment in two thousand and six. Man testified that Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in twenty thirteen. The trial was a media circus. Protesters gathered outside the courthouse daily, some chanting rapist as Weinstein arrived in his wheelchair inside the courtroom.

3:43 The testimony was graphic, emotional, and devastating. Hailey described how Weinstein threw her onto a bed and forced himself on her despite her protests. Man recounted feeling trapped by a man she had once seen as a father figure in the industry. The defense, led by attorney Donna Rotono, tried to paint the accusers as opportunistic women who had willingly engaged with Weinstein for career advancement and were now reframing consensual encounters as crimes. They highlighted the continued contact some accusers had with Weinstein after the alleged assaults, including friendly emails and meetings. On February twenty fourth, twenty twenty, after five days of deliberations, the jury reached their verdict guilty on two counts, third degree rape of Jessica Man and first degree criminal sexual act against Miriam Haley. Weinstein was acquitted on the two most serious charges of predatory sexual assault and first degree rape. The conviction was hailed as a watershed moment for the me to movement. Weinstein was sentenced to twenty three years in prison, effectively a life sentence for the then sixty seven year old. For many, it felt like justice had finally been served. But the story was far from over. Weinstein's attorneys immediately appealed the conviction, and in April twenty twenty four, New York's highest court delivered a stunning blow to the prosecution and me too advocates everywhere. In a bitterly divided four to three decision,

5:15 the New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein's conviction and ordered a new trial. The court ruled that the trial judge James Burke, had made egregious errors by allowing testimony from women whose allegations weren't part of the charges against Weinstein, so called prior bad acts witnesses. The majority opinion, written by Judge Jenny Rivera, stated that this testimony served no material, non propensity purpose and essentially put Weinstein on trial for his character rather than the specific charges. The court also criticized Burke's ruling that prosecutors could question Weinstein about his history of bullying and verbal abuse if he chose to testify, a decision that may have influenced his choice not to take the stand. The dissenting judges were scathing in their criticism of the majority, with one writing that the decision continued a disturbing trend of overturning jury verdicts in sexual violence cases. Ashley Judd, one of Weinstein's most prominent accusers, called the reversal an act of institutional betrayal. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg immediately announced his intention to retry the case, but the reversal was nonetheless a devastating blow to me too advocates, who saw it as a step backward in holding powerful men accountable. The retrial that began in April twenty twenty five took place in a dramatically different cultural and political moment than the original twenty twenty trial. The Me Too movement, while still alive, had evolved and in many ways ebbed from its peak intensity. The daily protests

6:48 outside the courthouse were notably absent, and the media coverage, while significant, lacked the fever pitch of the original trial. This time, Weinstein faced charges involving three women, the same two for the original trial, Mimi Hailey and Jessica Man, plus a new accuser, Kaja Socola, a former model whose allegations of assault in two thousand and six had been added to the retrial. Socola, now a Polish psychotherapist, alleged that Weinstein lured her to a hotel room when she was just nineteen years old, promising to show her a film script, and then forced oral sex on her. The prosecution, unable to use the prior bad acts witnesses that had been central to their first case, focused intensely on the three core accusers. The testimony was no less emotional or graphic than in the first trial. Hailey again described being thrown onto Weinstein's bed and assaulted. Mann recounted the hotel room rape. Socola, in her first time testifying against Weinstein, told the jury how she pleaded please don't, please stop.

7:52 I don't want this as Weinstein attacked her. The defense, led by Arthur Dala, employed a similar strategy to the first trial, portraying the accusers as conniving and sophisticated women who falsely accused Weinstein for fame and money. They emphasized that all three women had received substantial civil settlements and argued that the encounters were consensual. This time, Weinstein faced charges involving three women, the same two from the original trial, Mimi Hailey and Jessica Mann, plus a new accuser, Kaya Socola, A former model whose allegations of assault in two thousand and six had been added to the retrial. Socola alleged that Weinstein lured her to a hotel room when she was just nineteen years old, promising to show her a film script, and then forced oral sex on her. The prosecution, unable to use the prior bad acts witnesses that had been central to their first case, focused intensely on the three core accusers. The testimony was no less emotional or graphic than in the first trial. Hailey again described being thrown onto Weinstein's bed and assaulted, man recounted the hotel room rape. Socola, in her first time testifying against Weinstein, told the jury how she pleaded please don't, please stop.

9:08 I don't want this as Weinstein attacked her. The defense, led by Arthur Adela, employed a similar strategy to the first trial, portraying the accusers as conniving and sophisticated women who falsely accused Weinstein for fame and money. They emphasized that all three women had received substantial civil settlements and argued that the encounters were consensual. Weinstein's defense attorney, Arthur Idalla, was incensed by the situation. If you're a deliberating juror, you have to be punched in the face in order for it to rise to the level of a real threat. Aidala said Thursday, it's insane in the membrane, insane on the brain. This wasn't the first sign of trouble among the jurors. Earlier in the week, the four person had complained that other jurors were considering elements from Weinstein's past that weren't submitted as evidence in this particular trial. Another juror had asked to be excused entirely, saying he'd heard jurors talking about other jurors in the elevators and the process wasn't fair. On Wednesday, June eleventh, twenty twenty five, after days of apparently tense deliberations, the jury returned with a split verdict that reflected the complexity and difficulty of these cases. Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of one count of criminal Sexual act in the first degree for his assault of Miriam Hayley, the same charge from his original conviction.

10:29 The jury acquitted him of the criminal sexual act charge involving Kadja Scola, and they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the third degree rape charge involving Jessica Man. But what happened next was unprecedented. The tensions that had been simmering in the jury room for days finally boiled over on Wednesday afternoon, after the partial verdict was announced, jurors were sent home amid reports of fighting in the jury room. The fourth person had asked to speak privately with Judge Curtis Farber, and what he revealed was shocking. I feel afraid inside there. I can't be inside there, the four person told the judge and attorneys. According to court transcripts, he explained that other jurors were pressuring him to change his decision, with one allegedly saying, oh, we will see you outside when he refused to budge. When asked if he would return to deliberations on Thursday, he flatly refused. The situation was so volatile that Weinstein himself made an unusual request to address the court directly. This is not right for me, the person who is on trial here, Weinstein declared, this is my life that's on the line, and you know what, it's not fair. It's simple, It's just not fair. He begged the judge to declare a mistrial on the remaining charge. When Judge Farber spoke to the other jurors on Thursday, they claimed they don't understand why the four person bowed out, but the damage was done. The judge declared a mistrial on the Jessica Man rape charge, and prosecutors immediately announced they would retry that count on July second. Outside the courthouse, the reactions

12:01 were mixed but emotional. Hailey, speaking to reporters, said she was grateful to the jury for the conviction and expressed hope that the verdict would help dispel the myth of the perfect victim. She described testifying as exhausting and at times dehumanizing, but said the verdict gave her hope for increased awareness around sexual violence. Socola, despite the acquittal on her charge, said she was relieved by the overall verdict and that her truth had been heard. Her attorney noted that while Socola may not have received the verdict she deserved, her testimony had helped bring down a man who believed he was untouchable. Jessica Mann, through her attorneys, expressed readiness to testify again at the July ree trial. Man is ready and willing and wants to retry this count. Prosecutors announced the single conviction could carry a maximum sentence of twenty five years, effectively keeping the seventy three year old Weinstein behind bars for the rest of his life. He remains in prison at Riker's Island in New York, also serving a sixteen year sentence from a separate twenty twenty two conviction in Los Angeles for rape and sexual assault charges. There.

13:10 As I stand here outside the Manhattan Court House, where so much legal history has been made, it's impossible not to reflect on what the Weinstein case, both the original trial and this retrial means for the broader fight for accountability and justice. On one hand, the conviction represents a validation of the Albert me Too movement's core principle that powerful men can and will be held accountable for sexual abuse, regardless of their status or influence. The fact that prosecutors chose to retry the case after the appeal, and that another jury convicted Weinstein sends a clear message that the system, while imperfect, can deliver justice. But the legal technicalities that led to the overturned conviction and the split verdict in the retrial also highlight the ongoing challenges in prosecuting sexual assault cases. The rules of evidence that prohibited prior bad acts witnesses in the retrial, while designed to ensure fair trials, can make it harder for prosecutors to demonstrate patterns of abuse that victims and advocates say are central to understanding how predators operate. The cultural moment has also shifted. While the Me Too movement remains influential, the movement has evolved from its explosive beginnings. The daily protests and intense media coverage that characterized the original trial were largely absent from the retrial. Some advocates worry about Me too fatigue and whether society has the sustained attention span necessary for long

14:41 term change. Yet, Gloria Alread, the veteran women's rights attorney who represented Mimi Hayley, insists the movement is alive and well, pointing to the continued stream of civil settlements and private accountability measures. Progress for women in the workplace and in the justice system over the past decade is a direct result of his prosecution, she told me outside the courthouse. Meanwhile, Weinstein's representatives continue to maintain his innocence. His attorney, Arthur Adala, has suggested that Weinstein was railroaded by the Number Me two movement and that the cases against him represent the criminalization of consensual adult relationships rather than actual crimes. More in a moment. As we wrap up this special Sunday edition, the Weinstein saga continues to evolve. The jury chaos that led to Thursday's mistrial adds yet another surreal chapter to a case that has already defied expectations at every turn.

15:48 The fact that Jessica Man will have to testify for a third time, first in twenty twenty, then in this retrial, and now again in July, speaks to both her incredible courage and the grinding nature of seekingj justice in these cases. The mistrial also raises uncomfortable questions about jury intimidation and the pressures that can emerge in high profile cases. While the specifics of what happened in that jury room may never be fully known, the four persons fear was real enough to derail the entire deliberation process. Meanwhile, Weinstein's legal team is already planning appeals of both the New York retrial conviction and his California conviction, but with another trial looming in just three weeks, the seventy three year old mogul faces the prospect of yet more courtroom drama and potential additional time behind bars. But perhaps more importantly, the broader questions raised by the Weinstein case continue to reverberate through our culture and legal system. How do we balance the rights of the accused with the need to believe in support survivors. How do we handle cases where the alleged crimes occurred years or decades ago. How do we address the power imbalances that can make it difficult for victims to come forward immediately. These are the questions that will define the next phase of the Number Me two movement and the ongoing fight for accountability. There are also the questions that will be front and center as we return to covering the Sean ditty Comb's trial, where similar themes of power, coercion and sexual exploitation are playing out

17:19 in real time. The Weinstein retrial may not have delivered the clean, complete victory that advocates hoped for, but it has delivered something perhaps more important, a reminder that the fight for justice is ongoing, messy, and never truly finished. Each conviction, each acquittal, each hung jury teaches us something about how our system works and how it might work better. As I head back into the courthouse tomorrow to continue covering the Ditty Trial, I'll be thinking about the courage it took for Mimi Haley, Jessica Man, and Kaya Secola to testify again, to relive their trauma in service of something larger than themselves. Their voices and the void of the more than eighty women who have accused Harvey Weinstein have changed our world in ways both seen and unseen.

18:08 That's where we stand after another landmark moment in the ongoing fight for accountability and justice. I'll be back tomorrow with every new twist, every legal battle, and every revelation from the Ditty Trial. I'm Garrett Fisher, and this is Diddy do It.