Harvey Weinstein, disgraced “MeToo” mogul, has a retrial

Tragically, it feels routine to hear sexual assault allegations against public figures: Bill Cosby, Bill O’Reilly, Andrew Cuomo, R. Kelly, President Donald Trump, and countless others. Sean “Diddy” Combs, rapper and music industry mogul, is on trial for sex trafficking and racketeering, and this week, Newsboys frontman Michael Tait stepped down and confessed his sexual sins. These sometimes merely alleged, sometimes proven, abuses are often open secrets. However, the culture changed in 2017 and 2018, with the arrest of the film producer Harvey Weinstein and the rise of the “MeToo” movement. 

It may be surprising to discover that Harvey Weinstein is still in a courtroom, seven years later. Could Weinstein go free? How should Christians respond? 

Who is Harvey Weinstein? How did he set off the “MeToo” movement? 

Harvey Weinstein was a powerhouse film producer in Hollywood. He cofounded Miramax Films and the Weinstein Company with his brother. They were known for putting avant-garde and foreign films into the spotlight. 

Altogether, his movies won more than 80 Academy Awards. At his peak, he was thanked at the Oscars almost as much as God. 

As a producer, he could easily propel a struggling or new actor to stardom. He abused that power for his own sexual gratification constantly. 

In the Fall of 2017, The New York Times and The New Yorker reported on Harvey Weinstein’s decades of sexual misconduct. He had settled out of court with at least eight women, paying massive sums to keep his habits a secret. The exposés forced Weinstein to publicly apologize, but they were only the first domino. 

After the reports, Actress Alyssa Milano and around eighty women came forward and shared their horror stories dealing with Weinstein, launching the MeToo movement. On Twitter, Alyssa wrote, “If you’ve ever been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Millions of women went on to use the hashtag.

Weinstein’s criminal convictions 

Weinstein’s reputation was destroyed but, at the time, nothing had been proven in a court. However, in 2018, in New York, he was arrested and charged with “rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women.” Two years later, he was convicted of two of the five charges and sentenced to 23 years in prison. 

In 2022, a California court convicted him of “rape, forced oral copulation and third-degree sexual misconduct,” sentencing him to another, consecutive, sixteen years in prison.

Although the US would continue to wrestle with the MeToo movement for years to come, it seemed like Weinstein’s chapter had closed. So, why is he in the headlines again? 

Weinstein’s 2025 jury drama

In April 2024, the New York Court of Appeals said the original judge in the New York case had made “egregious errors.” They ordered a retrial, set for last month. 

This past Wednesday, June 11, Weinstein was found guilty of one of three counts (his alleged assault of a former production assistant in 2006). He was found not guilty of another assault. The third count charges him with rape, but the jury was deadlocked over this count in the most dramatic fashion. 

Jury discussions often become contentious, but apparently, this deliberation was particularly chaotic. Jurors reported yelling, personal attacks, and “threats,” according to the jury foreman. One juror even suggested that another had been “bought” by Weinstein. 

The foreman refused to go into the same room as the other jurors, but other jurors said his worries were “overblown.” According to the NYT, the foreman juror, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, spoke English only haltingly. 

The judge declared a mistrial over the third conviction. Another retrial for this conviction will be scheduled soon. Weinstein is 73. No matter the outcome of this third conviction, he will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. 

Human justice and God’s justice

Human attempts at justice always fall short of God’s perfect justice. One characteristic of God’s judgment is that it’s timeless, meaning he doesn’t forget, get bored, or grow weary. I’ve said before, when writing about Alex Jones, “The US legal system, while deeply flawed, is based on the sound biblical principle of pursuing an unchanging truth and facts to strive for justice.” 

In particular, with this case—and its devolving, split, and emotional jury—we’re reminded of humanity’s frailty and weakness. 

The judges are humans with their own problems and flaws. The jury, likewise, are just regular folks from every walk of life. On earth, justice is messy.

Human and divine vengeance

Reading the stories of Genesis reminds me how unapologetic the Bible is about accounting for the sins, mistakes, and faults of its “heroes.” For example, Jacob (later renamed Israel) is consistently painted as a liar, swindler, and apathetic. 

In a particularly gruesome story, his daughter is raped by another chiefton’s son. He proceeds to ask Jacob to give her to him as his wife. 

Jacob seems passive, indecisive, and stuck, so his sons take vengeance into their own hands. They trick the other tribe and slaughter their men. 

Where is justice in this story? Did the others deserve such retribution for the son’s crimes? 

Justice and truth aren’t easy to come by. They’re hard fought. This is why, when we pursue justice on our own, we can often, unintentionally, do more harm than good. Paul reflects on the nature of vengeance in Romans 12:19-21, quoting the Old Testament throughout:

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” 

Praise God that, with Christ, there is no choice between perfect justice, goodness, and grace. They can all coexist at the same time in his perfect nature. 

Through his grace, our own evils are paid for. Through death and resurrection, we can find true, fulfilled reconciliation. 

In the meantime, while we hope for that day, would you pray for the reflection of God’s kingdom to come and his will to be accomplished “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10)? 

Undoubtedly, it is a good imitation of heavenly justice and of God’s kingdom being represented on earth that Weinstein will serve the rest of his life in prison. 

Pray for healing for the survivors of his abuse, repentance from Weinstein, and the change in our own lives to better reflect God’s justice.