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Harvey Weinstein gave a rare interview as he awaits the verdict in his New York sex crimes retrial, saying that he has “regrets” that he “acted immorally” but claiming that it was “never illegal.”
In an exclusive phone conversation on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York,” anchor Rosanna Scotto asked the former Hollywood producer and convicted sex offender what he thought of the women who had testified against him, and if he has any regrets. “I think Arthur said they had 4 million reasons to testify, as in dollars,” Weinstein said, referring to his lawyer Arthur Aidala.
“I have regrets that I put my family through this, that I put my wife through this, and I acted immorally,” Weinstein continued. “I put so many friends through this and hurt people that were close to me by actions that were stupid, you know what I mean? But never illegal, never criminal, never anything.”
Weinstein, who was found guilty on three of seven charges in an L.A. sexual assault trial in 2022 and sentenced to 16 years in prison, is being retried in New York after his previous convictions in the state were overturned in 2024. He has been charged with two counts of committing a “criminal sexual act” in the first degree and one count of third-degree rape. Closing arguments in the retrial wrapped on Wednesday, and jury deliberations began on Thursday.
Scotto also asked Weinstein why he decided not to testify in the retrial. Though he said he “wanted to,” Weinstein added that Aidala “said to me that the jury was very feeling strongly, that the jury understood our case and would be sympathetic to our case and that the DA would try to rip me apart if I took the stand.”
Weinstein continued, “I’m not afraid of the DA, but this was the best advice and this is the advice you often hear: don’t take the stand if you don’t have to.”
Listen to Weinstein’s full interview on “Good Day New York” here.
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