In 2017, my dad and I went for a drive. At one point, we had to stop for some gas. We were both a bit hungry, so we went into the station store. My dad went to get some drinks, and he asked me to pick up a newspaper. I walked over to the newspaper box and I picked one up. My jaw dropped as I saw what was on the cover of The New York Times. It read that Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow had accused the powerful movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment. I was immediately shocked at this and I told my dad to come over and see this. Over the next few weeks, I started seeing actresses all over the news. I found out that Paper Towns actress Cara Delevigne claimed she had been sexually harassed by him; I saw that the star of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, Eva Green, said she had been sexually harassed by him; the entertainingly vicious villain in Kill Bill (Daryl Hannah) said she had been sexually harassed on multiple occasions by him; Salma Hayek said she was sexually harassed by him; and underrated actress Lupita Nyong’o said she was almost sexually harassed by him several times. I was shocked. I did not realize at the time that there were truly some corrupt people in Hollywood abusing their power. But out of everyone, Weinstein was the most corrupt. After a year of injustice, and the outspark of the #MeToo movement, a few of his accusations of rape were taken to trial. 

Weinstein went on trial for six charges of sexual assault. The trial took place in New York and Weinstein walked into the court on a walker. It started late last month, and throughout there were many women who took the stand to deliver many incredibly emotional testimonies. Along the way, Weinstein’s lawyers had been claiming that Weinstein was a sweet, innocent man and that any sex that happened was consensual. Throughout the month, a few of the six charges were dismissed. The jury had pressure on its shoulders as it had to make the final decision. On Monday, the verdict was finally reached.

The jury concluded that Weinstein was guilty of third-degree rape and first-degree sexual assault. According to the people in the room, Weinstein was immobile as the verdict was read. Not immobile out of sheer shock, but immobile because he refused to move as he was ordered to be promptly sent to jail. According to the Times, in the manner of a preschooler who couldn’t accept a timeout, he repeated three times, “But I’m innocent” and “How could this happen in America?” After this charade, he was taken to a hospital first, and then to an infirmary on Rikers Island (New York City’s Main Jail Complex). 

Now it seems that it’s all over, but in a way, it’s just the beginning. This is the first sentencing of the #MeToo movement. It’s sad to say that even after several predators in Hollywood have been identified, they haven’t been given what they deserve. On the bright side, the villain that started it all is finally going down. At least until his appeal, which will certainly be filed. For now, he’s in jail, but his official sentencing will be on March 11th. Along with the charges he’s already been tried for, he is facing some in Los Angeles. 

Weinstein is currently in a hospital for chronic medical conditions. He has hired a counselor to prepare himself for jail and reports came out saying that he was in good spirits because he believed that he could appeal the decision. While all this is taking place, thousands are crying tears of joy everywhere. Many of Weinstein’s victims have been coming together to celebrate on social media. With them, many other celebrities have been reacting to it. It has sparked much celebration in the media and across America. The man who caused havoc in Hollywood and destroyed the careers of who knows how many women has finally gone down.