A Manhattan judge declared a mistrial Friday in the latest rape prosecution against Harvey Weinstein after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict regarding allegations that he raped actress and hairstylist Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013.
The jury, made up of seven men and five women, deliberated for two days before informing the court that they were unable to agree on whether Weinstein was guilty of the rape charge. The mistrial marks the third time Mann’s allegations have been at the center of a major courtroom battle in New York.
Weinstein, 74, appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court during the proceedings wearing a dark suit and glasses as the highly publicized retrial came to an abrupt end without a verdict.
Following the mistrial announcement, Alvin Bragg said prosecutors would review their options alongside Mann before deciding whether to pursue another trial.
“While we are disappointed that the proceedings ended with a mistrial, we deeply respect the jury system and sincerely thank all of the jurors for their time and dedication,” Bragg said in a public statement. He also praised Mann for continuing to testify despite the emotional toll the case has taken over nearly a decade.
Mann testified for the third time about the alleged assault, describing in graphic detail what she says occurred inside a Manhattan DoubleTree hotel room in 2013. Prosecutors argued that Weinstein used his power and influence in the entertainment industry to manipulate and sexually assault young women seeking opportunities in Hollywood.
Assistant District Attorney Candace White told jurors that Weinstein exploited Mann’s aspirations as an actress while pressuring her into unwanted sexual acts. Prosecutors maintained that Mann repeatedly made it clear she did not want the encounter.
Weinstein’s defense team strongly rejected those claims throughout the trial. Defense attorney Jacob Kaplan argued that the relationship between Weinstein and Mann was consensual and complex, emphasizing that the two continued communicating after the alleged assault. Kaplan also pointed to emails exchanged between the two as evidence that contradicted the prosecution’s narrative.
According to the defense, Mann had opportunities to leave the hotel room but chose to remain. Kaplan told jurors during opening statements that Weinstein “did not rape Mann at any point.”
The mistrial follows years of legal twists in Weinstein’s New York cases. In 2020, Weinstein was convicted of third-degree rape involving Mann and sentenced to prison. However, in 2024, New York’s highest court overturned that conviction, ruling that the trial judge improperly allowed testimony from women whose allegations were not directly tied to the charges being tried.
A retrial in 2025 also ended without a unanimous verdict concerning Mann’s accusations.
Separate from the Mann allegations, Weinstein was convicted last year in New York of forcing oral sex on former “Project Runway” production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. He was acquitted on allegations involving Polish model Kaja Sokola.
The repeated legal proceedings surrounding Weinstein continue to symbolize the lasting impact of the #MeToo movement, which gained worldwide momentum after multiple women publicly accused the former film producer of sexual misconduct beginning in 2017.
Weinstein has consistently denied all allegations of nonconsensual sexual activity.
