Prosecutors cast Harvey Weinstein as a figure who used “power, control and manipulation,” while the defence argued the case is about “consent” and “regret.”
The retrial centres on a single 2013 allegation involving Jessica Mann after earlier cases with multiple charges saw mixed outcomes and an overturned conviction.
Both sides have revised strategies, with a new defence team and prosecutors seeking additional witnesses to strengthen their case.
Harvey Weinstein’s Rape Retrial Opens For Third Time In New York
Prosecutors and defence spar as narrowed case focuses on single allegation involving Jessica Mann
Summary
Prosecutors once again portrayed Harvey Weinstein as a onetime Hollywood power player who used his sway as a tool of sexual assault, repainting a familiar but fraught picture on Tuesday (April 21, 2026) at a rape retrial nearly eight years after the former movie tycoon’s arrest.
As opening arguments in the historic #MeToo case got underway, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Candace White told the jury, "This case will come down to power, to control and to manipulation," while DA Alvin Bragg watched from the audience.
Jacob Kaplan, Weinstein's attorney, retorted that the case truly "is about consent, about choice and about regret," reiterating Weinstein's long-standing argument that his accuser has misrepresented a voluntary interaction as a crime.
Weinstein has been found guilty of certain sexual assault accusations and cleared of others in trials on two U.S. coasts since he became a prominent target of the #MeToo campaign against sexual misconduct almost ten years ago. In the end, a few charges were dropped.
However, the rape case about a 2013 meeting in a Manhattan hotel has persisted because of a jury deadlock and an overturned conviction.
The case against Harvey Weinstein has narrowed significantly, now focusing on a single allegation involving Jessica Mann, even as jurors are expected to hear broader details about their relationship before and after the incident. Unlike earlier trials with multiple accusers and charges, this one centres on what happened during one specific encounter.
Both sides have adjusted their approach: Weinstein has a new legal team with a different defence strategy, while prosecutors are seeking to strengthen their case by adding a new witness and potentially calling others if Weinstein testifies—moves the defence is opposing.
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