“That is unfair to survivors. We still live in our truth. And we know what happened,” said Ashley Judd, one of the many women who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
Women in Hollywood — some of whom accused Harvey Weinstein of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment — are speaking out, after the movie mogul’s New York rape conviction was overturned Thursday in appeals court.
The judges ruled Weinstein’s rights were violated when the court “erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes because that testimony served no material non-propensity purpose” — ie, testimony from some women who took the stand wasn’t relevant to the charges.
The court also ordered a new trial. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office plans to retry the case.
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Harvey Weinstein Accuser Ashley Judd Reveals Late Mom Naomi Told Her to ‘Go Get Him’
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Ashley Judd, Mariska Hargitay, Amber Tamblyn, Mira Sorvino React
Reacting to the news in a press conference on Thursday, Ashley Judd — who accused Weinstein of sexual harassment — said the decision proved, “This is what it’s like to be a woman in America, living with male entitlement to our bodies.”
“When survivors tell their stories, they’re exercising a powerful form of leadership that sparks others to join in shared action that catalyzes change,” Judd continued, via EW. “We understand that leadership is exercising principles and values in the face of uncertainty, and that’s what we leaders and survivors do. This, today, is an act of institutional betrayal, and our institutions betray survivors of male sexual violence. We have so much to offer. We need to be able to contribute without fear, without terror, of violence, of our voices being muted.”
“That is unfair to survivors. We still live in our truth. And we know what happened,” Judd also told The New York Times.
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Mira Sorvino Gets Emotional Recalling How Harvey Weinstein ‘Stifled’ Career: ‘I Stopped Being A Viable Actress’
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Mira Sorvino, who said Weinstein derailed her career after she turned down his alleged advances, also reacted on Instagram, saying she was “gutsick” over the decision. “To all of my sister/fellow survivors out there, it just means we have to love harder, and fight harder. Evil rears its ugly head but we are the army of light and will prevail,” she added.
Amber Tamblyn, a force in the #MeToo movement, took to Instagram to share, “Let this be a reminder how rigged the American judical system is against women and survivors of sexual violence, and what it takes to ‘prove’ your truth in this world.” She also told the Times that the decision was “a loss to the entire community of women who put their lives and careers on the line to speak out.”
Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, herself a rape survivor, called the decision “a painful and infuriating affront to survivors and advocates everywhere” on Instagram. She added, “To every survivor in this case and every survivor who has to bear witness to this incorrigible marriage of justice, my heart is with you today, tomorrow, and forever.”
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Samantha Morton Claims Harvey Weinstein Tried to ‘Destroy’ Her Career, Called Her ‘Unf—able’
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Sarah Ann Masse, another actress who accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her, told the New York Times: “Abusers are given chance after chance to get back to their ‘normal lives’ while survivors continue to suffer from a lack of support, prolonged trauma, chronic illness, mental health struggles, economic harm and various forms of retaliation.”
Added Katherine Kendall, another accuser, “[the decision is] a terrible reminder that victims of sexual assault just don’t get justice.” Kendall added she was “completely let down by the justice system right now” and “sort of flabbergasted” by the ruling.
Weinstein is still behind bars and will likely remain there for some time, as he was also sentenced to 16 years in prison for charges of rape and sexual assault in Los Angeles.
