Candace Owens praised a New York appeals court for overturning the 2020 rape conviction against former Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
The court on Thursday announced that Weinstein's conviction will be overturned, finding that the judge overseeing the case made improper rulings including allowing a woman to testify against him about allegations separate from his case, the Associated Press reported.
Weinstein was found guilty of rape in the third degree and a criminal sexual act in the first degree in February 2020. He was later convicted of rape and other sexual assault charges in a separate case in Los Angeles, and he will continue serving out the 16-year sentence in that case. He sought to appeal both verdicts.
The ruling quickly sparked discussion about Weinstein's case on social media, including conservative commentator Owens, who voiced agreement with the charges being overturned.
"You can say what you will about Harvey Weinstein, but the case against him in New York was one of the most absurd convictions I've ever seen. Read the case details. Full on witch hunt. Glad it was overturned. New York has a real problem," she wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
In a follow-up post, Owens wrote that she believes the courts "in general have become playgrounds for 'social justice' rather than actual justice."
Newsweek reached out to Owens for comment via email.
While Owens has been critical of Weinstein in various social media posts over the years, writing in May 2021 that he was able to "victimize people for years despite the fact that 'everyone knew,'" she has raised concerns about his trial.
In February 2023, she questioned the testimony of an actress who testified against Weinstein, arguing that prosecutors were unable to place him at her hotel.
"They could not. She also lied multiple times on the stand. This conviction makes no sense," Owens wrote. In a separate post, she added that acknowledging her concerns with his conviction "does not make Harvey Weinstein a 'good' person."
Juda Engelmayer, a spokesperson for Weinstein, told NBC News that they are "thrilled with the court's decision."
"We obviously have a long road ahead of us in California," Engelmayer said in a statement.
The ruling said the "remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial," though it remains unknown when that may take place.
A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement that his office "will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault."
In a statement provided to Newsweek, Weinstein's accusers described the ruling as "not only disheartening" but "profoundly unjust."
"But this ruling does not diminish the validity of our experiences or our truth; it's merely a setback. The man found guilty continues to serve time in a California prison. When survivors everywhere broke their silence in 2017, the world changed. We continue to stand strong and advocate for that change. We will continue to fight for justice for survivors everywhere," the statement reads.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
