Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of the rape and sexual assault of an actress named in court as 'Jane Doe 1' in his second trial, sentenced to a further 16 years in prison.
The 70-year-old is already currently serving a 23 year sentence for rape and sexual assault.
The 2017 New York Times' investigation of Weinstein reportedly saw over 100 women come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct, dating back 30 years.
These included major A-list Hollywood names, from Uma Thurman and Angelina Jolie, to Salma Hayek and Gwyneth Paltrow - women who proved essential in the subsequent global #MeToo movement.
Weinstein's most recent trial saw eight women testify against him in Los Angeles, with one of the witnesses, known as Ashley M., testifying that Weinstein invoked Gwyneth Paltrow while trying to initiate a "naked massage" with her in 2003.
According to Ashley M.'s testimony, Weinstein allegedly wanted to share "a naked massage [with her] like friends", reportedly telling her that he "did it with Gwyneth" and allegedly insisting: "Look what I did for her career."
The reference to Paltrow's name has led to the resurfacing of her own accusations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein, with the actress sharing her story with The New York Times as part of their 2017 investigation.
"I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified," Paltrow told The New York Times back in 2017 about the alleged incident in which he summoned her to his hotel room after casting her in Emma. Paltrow was just 22 at the time.
According to Paltrow, Weinstein allegedly placed his hands on her and suggested a massage.
Paltrow, who was dating actor Brad Pitt at the time, confided in her boyfriend, recalling on The Howard Stern Show that Pitt had confronted Weinstein at the 1995 Broadway opening of Hamlet, telling him: “If you ever make her feel uncomfortable again, I’ll kill you.
“It was the equivalent of throwing him against the wall, energetically,” Paltrow continued. “It was so fantastic because what he did was, he leveraged his fame and power to protect me at a time when I didn’t have fame or power yet."
Ashley M.'s Attorney Elizabeth Fegan released a statement following her testimony.
"Over the last two days, my client Ashley M. shared her story, using her own voice to take back her power and hold Harvey Weinstein accountable for his actions," read her statement. "She delivered powerful testimony, and her bravery in doing so is commendable."
This week, Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to a further 16 years in jail. He is already serving a 23-year sentence.
We will continue to update this story.
If you or someone close to you is a victim of rape, sexual assault or any form of sexual violence, Rape Crisis offers 24/7 specialists to talk to at 0808 802 9999 or by their online webchat.
