Mira Sorvino, the Oscar-winning actress who went public with her Harvey Weinstein story in 2017, has voiced her dismay over the New York Court of Appeals’ decision to overturn his 2020 rape conviction. Sorvino, who grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, expressed her anguish on Instagram, saying she was “gutsick” and calling for continued love and fighting against evil.
The court’s decision overturned Weinstein’s sentence of 23 years in prison, citing the “erroneous admission of testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts.” Weinstein, however, remains imprisoned due to his 2022 conviction for rape in Los Angeles, resulting in a 16-year sentence.
Sorvino, who wore jeans the day before the overturned conviction in solidarity with sexual violence survivors, vehemently criticized the court’s decision. She highlighted the significance of allowing evidence of patterns of prior bad acts in sexual predator cases, emphasizing Weinstein’s status as a prolific serial predator who has allegedly harmed over 200 women.
Sorvino shared her own experience of facing career consequences after speaking out against Weinstein. She revealed that Weinstein had made sexual advances toward her in 1995 and that Miramax, Weinstein’s company, had blocked her and fellow accuser Ashley Judd from the casting process for “The Lord of the Rings” movies.
Sorvino stressed the prevalence of sexual harassment and rape in society and the need to break the silence surrounding it. She urged people to support each other, raise their voices, and demand change to end the acceptance of such abuses as “de rigeur.” She expressed solidarity with fellow survivors, saying, “We see you, we hear you, we love you. We have your back.”
Despite the setback of Weinstein’s overturned conviction, Sorvino emphasized the strength and resilience of those who have been affected by sexual violence. She encouraged them to continue fighting for justice and to never give up hope.
