Harvey Weinstein Gives First Interview From Prison

Harvey Weinstein denied he had raped women and said he was sorry for cheating on his wives, among other claims in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter’s Maer Roshan, who met with the disgraced mogul at Rikers Island in the convicted rapist’s first interview from prison.

In the wide-ranging interview with THR, Weinstein continued to deny that he ever sexually assaulted any women, claiming that he may have “misled them.” His remorse came by way of cheating on his wives.

“I misled them,” he said of his accusers. “I cheated on both my wives. That’s immoral. But I did not assault them. That is the big lie of all of this. I won’t apologize for something I didn’t do. I will be proven innocent. That I promise you.”

While he acknowledged there was a “power imbalance” when it came to his alleged victims, he continued to deny the accusations of sexual assault. “I know I can be scary and difficult. But that’s still a long way from sexual assault. Over-flirtation, ridiculous situations. Bad and stupid behavior. Yes,” he said. “But I didn’t push anybody. I didn’t physically move anybody. I didn’t do that, Maer. And I’ve taken lie detectors to prove it.”

When asked if his “stringent NDAs” and hiring private investigators to follow his accusers showed wrongdoing, he responded, “Yes, but the thing I was doing wrong was not sexual assault. It was cheating on my wife. I was desperate to keep that secret from her. I did not want Disney to find out. I did everything to protect myself from that kind of scandal.” 

In addition to his sexual-assault denials, he claimed he never blackballed anyone. While discussing his issues with once “good friend” Gwyneth Paltrow, who was vocal about his behavior, he claimed she “wanted to be a part of the club,” which he said included Rosanna Arquette and Angelina Jolie, who “exaggerated.” He added: “And they destroyed me.” He alleged Paltrow made “such a big deal over nothing. I walked out of a nice meeting with her and said, ‘How about a massage?’ And she just went, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ I got the message.”

As for his “fatal flaw,” he admitted that “I overstepped my boundaries. That’s for sure. I could be a horrible bully. I used power in an arrogant way. I was pushy and insistent, and I feel terrible. I’m ashamed of that behavior, and I see it now in ways that I couldn’t before.”

Nearly 100 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct. Weinstein is facing retrial in New York next month related to the accusations from actress Jessica Mann. In June 2025, a New York jury found Weinstein guilty on one count of a criminal sexual act during his retrial. He was also found not guilty on another count of a criminal sexual act. The jury failed to reach a verdict on a third charge of rape, which resulted in a mistrial. In the initial 2020 case, Weinstein was convicted for one count of a felony sex crime and another for third-degree rape. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. In 2024, an appeals court overturned the conviction.

In his 2022 case in Los Angeles, a jury convicted him of one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault involving an Italian actress he forced himself on after pushing his way into her Los Angeles hotel room during a film festival in February 2013.