A rape charge against Harvey Weinstein has been dropped after his accuser, Jessica Mann, told prosecutors she could no longer endure testifying again. The decision, announced by Manhattan prosecutors on Thursday, means the disgraced Hollywood mogul will not face a fourth trial over the allegation that he raped the hairstylist and actor in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013.
“After a lot of thought and reflection, I have chosen not to proceed with a fourth trial against Harvey Weinstein,” Mann, 40, wrote in a letter that a prosecutor read to the court. The trial process had taken a significant toll; she testified for five days in the most recent trial and faced questioning about a personal note written shortly after the alleged rape. She had previously expressed difficulty focusing during her testimony, prompting an early adjournment.
“Prosecutors drop rape charge against Harvey Weinstein after accuser Jessica Mann says she cannot face a fourth trial.”
Weinstein, who has denied all accusations, was seen with a neutral expression as court officers wheeled him out of the courtroom. Prosecutors had already tried the case three times: once resulting in an overturned conviction and twice ending in hung juries. The first trial, in 2020, led to a conviction based on testimony from Mann, former television production assistant Miriam Haley, and model Kaja Sokola. That conviction was overturned in 2024 after an appeals court found the judge had improperly allowed testimony from women whose allegations were not part of the case.
A second trial last year found Weinstein guilty of sexually assaulting Haley but deadlocked on the rape count against Mann, prompting the judge to order a new trial. The third and most recent trial ended in May 2026 with another hung jury. During that trial, Mann testified that she willingly had some sexual encounters with Weinstein but that he forced her to have unwanted sex in a hotel room despite her repeatedly saying no. His defence team argued the encounter was consensual.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr said prosecutors believe Mann’s account and her credibility as a witness. “This has been an extraordinarily taxing ordeal for her, and she has never wavered while testifying in front of two grand juries and three trial juries over the course of eight years,” Bragg said. He thanked her for her honesty and bravery.
Prosecutor Nicole Blumberg said the office commended Mann’s “bravery, strength, courage and inspiration” to other survivors. Given her feelings about proceeding, Blumberg stated that “dismissal is appropriate.” Weinstein’s representative, Juda S Engelmayer, said: “Harvey is relieved by today’s outcome. We believe this is the result that should have been reached from the outset, had the grand jury been presented with the full scope of the emails, text messages, and other private communications.”
Weinstein remains incarcerated. He has not yet been sentenced for the conviction of assaulting Haley; prosecutors recommend a 20-year sentence. He is also serving a 16-year prison sentence for a conviction in California. In total, more than 100 women have accused him of sexual misconduct, assault and rape.