Harvey Weinstein defense urges acquittal as rape retrial nears a close

NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein’s defense has urged jurors to put an end to a #MeToo-era rape case that has gone to trial three times. An attorney for Weinstein argued Tuesday (May 12, 2026) that the former Hollywood honcho should be acquitted. Prosecutors will get their turn later Tuesday to make their case to the jury. Weinstein is accused of raping a woman in a New York hotel in 2013. His lawyers say the encounter was consensual. Whatever the outcome of the trial, the former movie producer and studio boss still will stand convicted of other sex crimes in New York and California. He’s appealing those convictions.