Harvey Weinstein says he’s innocent before claiming he’s ‘sorry’ in rare interview

Harvey Weinstein has claimed he's innocent before saying 'sorry' to all the women that he 'misled' in a rare interview from prison.

Nearly 100 women have accused the 73-year-old of sexual assault in criminal and civil cases since allegations first emerged in 2017, which launched the #MeToo movement.

Weinstein was convicted of sexual assault in New York in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison.

But that conviction was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals in April 2024, which ordered a retrial.

In the retrial, he was convicted on one count of a criminal sexual act, acquitted on another charge, and a rape charge ended in a mistrial after the jury could not reach a verdict.

He was separately convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 and sentenced to 16 years for rape and sexual assault.

Weinstein is currently held at Rikers Island in New York while awaiting further proceedings.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in his first major interview from behind bars, the disgraced film producer discussed prison life while again denying wrongdoing.

Convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein has claimed he's innocent in a new interview from prison (Pool / Getty Images)

Asked whether he had apologised to any of the women who brought charges against him, Weinstein said: "I apologised to them generally. You can’t call them when you’re in a trial with them.

"But I’ll say it here today: I apologise to those women. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been with them in the first place. I misled them."

He later clarified that the apology referred to being unfaithful to his former wives, Eve Chilton and Georgina Chapman.

Pressed on whether he regretted anything beyond cheating on his wives, Weinstein repeated: "I misled them. I cheated on both my wives. That’s immoral. But I did not assault them. That is the big lie of all of this.

"I won’t apologise for something I didn’t do. I will be proven innocent. That I promise you."

Weinstein also spoke about how the situation has affected his family.

When asked if his children understand what has happened, the father-of-five replied: "They know everything. They are old enough to Google. But I told them I never sexually assaulted anyone, and they believe me.

Weinstein claimed he was a 'survivor' in the prison interview (STEVEN HIRSCH / Contributor / Getty Images)

"Back when I was in Bellevue, it was easier to see them. I won’t allow my daughter to come and see me here. My son-in-law takes my 12-year-old to visit sometimes. But it’s hard for him, too. It’s emotionally crippling for him."

Elsewhere in the interview, he suggested his drive for power began in childhood, describing watching a wealthy uncle treat his father poorly, saying: "I aspired to be like him rather than my beaten-up father. That’s where I lost my way. That’s what shaped my values a bit. I didn’t want to be the sucker in life."

When asked whether that mindset shaped his behaviour towards women, Weinstein replied: "I don’t know," adding that relationships became 'too easy' because 'a lot of these women came to me'.

He ended the interview by claiming: "I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor."

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.

• Tourists accused of 'paying thousands' to shoot innocent civilians in ‘human safari trip’
• Marine who witnessed tourists 'paying thousands' to shoot innocent people recalled what he saw
• Death row inmate avoids execution moments before controversial procedure
• Death row inmate's haunting last words before being executed by 'torturous' controversial method