The rise and fall of movie maker Harvey Weinstein

[April 26, 2024]  (Reuters) - Harvey Weinstein, the former Hollywood producer who transformed the independent film world with Oscar-winning movies such as "Shakespeare in Love" and "The English Patient," was convicted of sex crimes in two states, but his New York conviction was overturned on Thursday by the state's highest court.

More than 80 women have accused Weinstein, 72, of sexual misconduct. He denies having had non-consensual sex with anyone. Here is a timeline of the rise and fall of one of the most powerful Hollywood producers:

1979 - Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob found independent film production company Miramax, naming it after their parents, Miriam and Max.

1993 - The Walt Disney Company buys Miramax for $80 million. The brothers stay with Miramax until 2005.

1994 - Director Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," starring Uma Thurman and John Travolta and backed by Miramax, wins the prestigious Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival.

1997 - Miramax wins its first Academy Award for best picture with "The English Patient."

1999 - "Shakespeare in Love" from Miramax wins seven Oscars, including best picture and best actress for Gwyneth Paltrow.

2004 - Weinstein divorces his first wife Eve Chilton, with whom he has three daughters.

2005 - The Weinstein brothers leave Miramax to set up their own production company, The Weinstein Company.

2007 - Weinstein marries English fashion designer Georgina Chapman.

Oct. 5, 2017 - The New York Times reports that Weinstein reached legal settlements with eight women who accused him of unwanted physical contact and sexual harassment over three decades. Weinstein apologized for causing pain to colleagues and said he was taking a leave of absence and entering therapy. Reuters did not independently verify the details of the New York Times report.

Oct. 6, 2017 - Weinstein takes an indefinite leave of absence from The Weinstein Co. The company later says he is fired.

Oct. 10, 2017 - The New Yorker reports allegations by 13 women who said Weinstein sexually harassed or assaulted them, including three who said he raped them. Weinstein again denies non-consensual sex. Reuters did not independently verify the details of The New Yorker's accounts.

Oct. 10, 2017 - Chapman, Weinstein's wife, says she is leaving him.

Former film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in court at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, California, USA, 04 October 2022. Harvey Weinstein was extradited from New York to Los Angeles to face sex-related charges. Etienne Laurent/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Oct. 14, 2017 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that selects the Oscar winners, expels Weinstein.

October 2017 - Actress Alyssa Milano fuels the expansion of the #MeToo movement, founded by Tarana Burke, by writing on Twitter: "If you've ever been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet." In the following weeks, #MeToo would be used by millions of women.

January 2018 - Hollywood celebrities launch the Time's Up organization to fight sexual harassment in the workplace.

May 2018 - Weinstein surrenders to New York police on charges of rape and a criminal sex act involving alleged assaults of two women.

June 2018 - Weinstein pleads not guilty to the charges, and later to a third charge from another woman. One of the charges eventually is dropped.

December 2019 - Weinstein and his bankrupt studio reach a tentative $25 million settlement with dozens of women who accused him of sexual misconduct.

February 2020 - Weinstein is convicted in Manhattan of sexually assaulting a former production assistant and raping an aspiring actress.

March 2020 - Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison for the New York convictions.

December 2022 - A Los Angeles jury convicts Weinstein of raping an actress in Los Angeles.

February 2023 - Weinstein is sentenced to 16 years in prison for the Los Angeles conviction. The sentence is set to run consecutively to the 23-year prison term he is serving in New York.

April 25, 2024 - Weinstein's New York conviction is overturned by the state's Court of Appeals, which orders a new trial. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg plans to retry the case, a spokesperson says.

(Reporting by Diane Craft and Lisa Richwine; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Howard Goller)

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