Key Takeaways
- Prosecutors say Harvey Weinstein offered a podcaster $1.75 million to release videos that could “contaminate the jury pool” in his New York sex crimes case.
- Weinstein’s spokesperson denied any payment or agreement, while a representative for Candace Owens—who released the jailhouse-video series Harvey Speaks, fueling speculation that she received payment—said Weinstein never paid her.
- A judge sentenced Weinstein, 74, to 15 years for sexually assaulting former Project Runway production assistant Miriam “Mimi” Haley after his original 2020 conviction was overturned.
Harvey Weinstein allegedly tried to spend $1.75 million from behind bars to influence the jury pool in his New York sex crimes case, according to prosecutors, who say they have recordings of the disgraced Hollywood producer discussing the offer with a podcaster.
The stunning allegation emerged via The New York Post during Weinstein’s sentencing for sexually assaulting former Project Runway production assistant Miriam “Mimi” Haley. Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg told the court that Weinstein offered the money during a jailhouse phone call in an effort to release videos that could reach potential jurors—and even people already seated on the case.
According to Blumberg, the material was intended to help Weinstein’s defense by “contaminating the jury pool and reaching the seated jurors before and after the trials.” She accused Weinstein of engaging in a “scheme to disrupt the trial and instill fear in his victims.”
Prosecutors did not publicly identify the allegedly involved podcaster. Candace Owens, however, released a 2025 podcast series titled Harvey Speaks that featured jailhouse videos of Weinstein, leading to speculation that she was the podcaster offered the handsome payout.
Owens’ spokesperson, Mitchell Jackson, said Weinstein never paid her. Weinstein’s camp also strongly denied that he attempted to influence jurors.
“That characterization is patently untrue. Harvey never offered or paid anyone $1.75 million to influence a jury, and there was no such agreement,” Weinstein spokesperson Juda Engelmayer said.
“Talking with friends about media coverage or expressing frustration is a very different thing from paying someone to contaminate a jury pool or intimidate witnesses,” Engelmayer continued. “No money was paid, no such deal was made, and portraying these conversations as a criminal-style ‘scheme’ is inflammatory and misleading.”
Weinstein was initially convicted in 2020 of sexually assaulting Haley and raping Jessica Mann and sentenced to 23 years behind bars. New York’s highest court overturned that conviction in 2024 on procedural grounds, setting up another prosecution.
A second jury again convicted Weinstein of sexually assaulting Haley while acquitting him of a separate charge involving Kaja Sokola. Jurors could not reach a verdict on Mann’s rape allegation, prompting another trial this year that also ended with a hung jury.
Weinstein, 74, was ultimately sentenced to 15 years for the assault on Haley. Before learning his sentence, he told the court, “I am not a perfect person. I am a person who has made mistakes,” and said he had “remorse for Miriam Haley.”
“I’m not a violent man,” Weinstein pleaded. “I ask for mercy.”
Haley told the court the consequences of the assault had followed her for two decades.
“It has often felt as though I was the one on trial,” she said. “It’s a life sentence for me.”
Judge Curtis Farber offered a far harsher assessment of Weinstein’s legacy.
“You had it all,” Farber told the former Miramax powerhouse. “Your legacy could have been cemented as greatness, a titan in the industry. But you threw it all away by sexually assaulting Miriam.”
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, help is available. Contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or use RAINN’s online hotline for free, confidential support.
