'He has raped many people that I love, so it's not really a happy occasion,' the 50-year-old actress explains.
- Jun 7, 2018
AceShowbiz - Actress Mira Sorvino sobbed when she learned Harvey Weinstein had been arrested and charged with various sex crimes, praising the move as a "great first step".
The Mighty Aphrodite star, who accused the disgraced movie mogul of blacklisting her years ago after she refused his sex requests, was among the first wave of women who bravely came forward to bring down Weinstein last year (17) as allegations of assault, misconduct, and harassment swirled through Hollywood.
The producer, who has always denied accusations of non-consensual sex, was taken into custody by New York authorities on 25 May and indicted on two counts of rape and one of a criminal sexual act for alleged incidents involving two women in 2004 and 2013.
He was released on bail, but returned to court on Tuesday, June 05, when he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
If found guilty, the Oscar winner, 66, could face up to 25 years in prison.
Like many of Weinstein's alleged victims, Sorvino is hopeful justice will be served, but she is hesitant to celebrate the criminal proceedings just yet, because she won't be satisfied until he is firmly behind bars.
"He has raped many people that I love, so it's not really a happy occasion," the 50-year-old actress explained in a candid interview on breakfast show Today on Wednesday, June 06.
"I think maybe there will be some celebration when he gets convicted and goes to jail. That is when the process will be complete and we will see justice really being served. But until then, this is a great first step."
Sorvino admits she has been on an emotional rollercoaster since his arrest, as seeing his name in the headlines reminds her of the trauma she suffered as a result of rebuffing Weinstein's alleged advances.
She continued, "It's him finally facing real, real criminal consequences for his criminal behaviour. And so for that I feel gratified but, honestly, last weekend was a very emotional one and I cried many times because just seeing him brings up a lot of bad feelings."
And Sorvino is also unhappy with Weinstein's not guilty plea, claiming he's purposefully dragging out the legal proceedings.
"He's guilty so let's spare our taxpayers' money and just get it over with!," she complained to TMZ.com.