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Harvey Weinstein Conviction: How Did We Get Here And What's Next?

The jury has finally reached a verdict.

After a lengthy trial, the uprise of the #MeToo movement, and countless recounts of sexual abuse, disgraced Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein has finally faced his conviction.

After five days of deliberation, a jury of seven men and five women found Weinstein guilty of a criminal sex act in the first degree and rape in the third degree. While the accused now faces a minimum sentence of four years and a maximum sentence of 29 years, he was acquitted of three other charges – two of which included serious counts of predatory sexual assault carrying a life sentence. 

Many have regarded the Harvey Weinstein case, and his conviction, a ‘watershed moment’ for the #MeToo movement, however others are skeptical that justice has – or will be – completely served.

Listen to the GOAT team breakdown the whole thing on the latest ep of It’s Been A Big Day For…below:

How Did We Get Here? 

Allegations of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein first surfaced in October 2017, when journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey published a groundbreaking report in the New York Times. 

Weinstein issued an apology acknowledging he had “caused a lot of pain,” but disputed the allegations. As time passed, more women came forward and more sexual assault accusations against the Hollywood producer emerged, spurring the #MeToo movement on social media.

Eventually, Harvey Weinstein was fired by the board of his company, expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ‘cancelled’ from Hollywood. 

A criminal investigation was launched in New York in 2017, but Weinstein wasn’t charged until 2018, when he turned himself into police. He was later released on $1M bail, but was forced to surrender his passport and wear an ankle monitor with travel restricted to New York and Connecticut.

On January 6, 2020 his trial began. Over one month later and after five days of deliberation, Harvey Weinstein faced his conviction, was handcuffed and taken to jail. He is set to be sentenced on March 11th. 

What Happens Now?

As mentioned previously, Harvey Weinstein’s defence team plan to appeal the verdict with his attorney Arthur Aidala saying, “As sure as I’m a bald man, we will be appealing.” 

However, Weinstein still faces charges in Los Angeles, with authorities alleging he raped one woman and sexually assaulted another on back-to-back nights during Oscars week in 2013. For these charges, Weinstein faces up to 28 years in prison. 

We will just have to wait and see what happens when it comes to Harvey Weinstein’s sentencing, and the charges against him in Los Angeles, but one thing is clear: this verdict gives victims of sexual assault at least some hope that even a man with so much power and wealth is not above or beyond the law. 

This trial, and Weinstein’s conviction, has also highlighted the bravery of all the women who came forward to tell their stories and share their experiences. We can only hope that their fearlessness in the face of Harvey Weinstein, the media and his defence team will encourage other women to speak out and seek justice.

If you, or anyone you know is a victim of sexual assault, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 1800 RESPECT for support services.

Always be in the loop with our snackable podcast breaking the biggest story of the day. Subscribe to It’s Been A Big Day For… on your favourite podcast app.

Katherine Johnson Was More Than Just A Character On ‘Hidden Figures’

The pioneer has passed away at age 101.

This week, the world lost a pioneer. Earlier this morning NASA announced via Twitter that mathematician and ‘Hidden Figure’ Katherine Johnson had passed away at age 101. 

“We’re saddened by the passing of celebrated #HiddenFigures mathematician Katherine Johnson,” NASA tweeted. “Today, we celebrate her 101 years of life and honour her legacy of excellence that broke down racial and social barriers.”

Johnson was portrayed in the 2016 Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures, which told the story of a group of African-American female mathematicians who helped play a pivotal role in astronaut John Glenn’s 1962 launch into orbit, facing struggles with racial and sexual discrimination along the way. 

The film shone a light on this awe-inspiring group of pioneers and how Katherine Johnson’s skill proved indispensable in helping the first American get into space – however, this trailblazer was so much more than a character in a film. 

Katherine Johnson was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia in 1918. She was incredibly brilliant from a young age and by 14, had already graduated from high school. Johnson continued to excel and graduated from West Virginia State at 18 years old, becoming the third African-American to receive a PhD in mathematics.

After working as a teacher and caring for her family, Johnson worked as a “computer” at NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, from 1953 to 1958. During this time, Johnson and other African-American women in the computing pool were required to work, eat, and use restrooms separated from their white peers due to racial segregation laws. 

From 1958 until retiring in 1986, Johnson worked as an aerospace technologist and helped calculate the trajectory for a number of space flights, including the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon. In 2015, Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

Speaking of space, listen to the GOAT team chat with Neil deGrasse Tyson and Ann Druyan on It’s Been A Big Day For…below:

“My dad taught us, ‘You are as good as anybody in this town, but you’re no better,'” she told NASA in 2008. “I don’t have a feeling of inferiority. Never had. I’m as good as anybody, but no better.”

Following her death, Johnson received tributes from Hillary Clinton, Margot Lee Shetterly, who wrote Hidden Figures, and Taraji P. Henson, who portrayed her in the film.

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine put it best when he said Katherine Johnson was a “leader of our pioneering days.” 

He said she “helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space even as she made huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of colour in the universal quest to explore space.”

Rest in Peace, Katherine. Your legacy will continue to live on.

Always be in the loop with our snackable podcast breaking the biggest story of the day. Subscribe to It’s Been A Big Day For… on your favourite podcast app.

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