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Ashley Judd continues to tell her truth amid Harvey Weinstein’s overturned sexual assault conviction. On Thursday, the foundation of Hollywood’s #MeToo movement was shaken. The New York Court of Appeals overturned the felony sex crimes conviction against the disgraced Hollywood produce. As a result, Judd, one of the first actresses to accuse Weinstein of molesting her, spoke up to condemn the judgment.
Heartbroken Ashley Judd Still Lives In Her Truth
Following the verdict of Weinstein’s overturned conviction, Judd released a statement to The New York Times. She expressed her disappointment in the judgment, describing it as “unfair to survivors.” The singer continued:
“We still live in our truth. And we know what happened.”
At a news conference in Manhattan, she discussed how Weinstein’s legal victory will have a negative impact on the fight against sexual assault. “This is what it’s like to be a woman in America, living with male entitlement to our bodies,” the 56-year-old lamented. “When survivors tell their stories, they’re exercising a powerful form of leadership that sparks others to join in shared action that catalyzes change.”
Judd noted that the verdict was “an act of institutional betrayal.” She then concluded her speech, “We have so much to offer. We need to be able to contribute without fear, without terror, of violence, of our voices being muted.” The daughter of the late Naomi Judd first led the backlash against Weinstein’s judgment. Other victims, like Katherine Kendall, Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, and Sarah Ann Masse, have also spoken up.
What Does Harvey Weinstein’s Overturned Conviction Mean?
A majority female panel of judges decided on the reversal of Harvey Weinstein’s felony conviction in a tight 4-3 decision. The Court of Appeals discovered that the judge who presided over the initial 2020 case held an unfair trial. The judge allowed prosecutors to call witnesses whose accusations against Weinstein weren’t the basis of the charges levied against him. As a result, the jury convicted him of a criminal sex act in the first-degree and third-degree rape, leading to a 23-year sentence.
Nevertheless, it is only a small victory that will most likely have no immediate impact on the 72-year-old’s prison sentence. Weinstein is currently serving a 16-year sentence. He was separately convicted of rape and sexual assault-related charges in California. However, reports suggest his California conviction can suffer a similar fate of being overturned.
