Harvey Weinstein Might Make the Decision to Take the Stand Himself in New Trial; Attorney Calls Him an 'Unusual Guy'

Harvey Weinstein's lawyer reveals he might take the stand in his upcoming April retrial. Read on to know the details.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 12, 2025 | 02:12 PM GMT | 7.2K

CC: Getty Images

Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of rape and sexual crimes.

Harvey Weinstein might testify himself in his forthcoming retrial, something that his legal team is seriously contemplating. Weinstein is now 72 and gearing up for a new trial in New York after being in prison for criminal sexual acts and rape in 2020. The conviction was overturned on appeal last April.

Weinstein's lawyer, Arthur Aidala, said to Page Six, they've been exploring the potential for Weinstein to take the stand — a rare move for a case of this type. "Harvey is an unusual guy," Aidala said.

The attorney added, "Yeah, we’ve been kind of — I don’t want to use the word rehearsing — but talking about whether he’s going to testify."

Aidala acknowledged the defendants don't usually testify but admitted that the situation in this case is different, opening the door for Weinstein to tell his story to the jury in person.

Generally, defense lawyers eschew placing their clients on the stand to avoid harsh cross-examinations at the hands of prosecutors. But Aidala indicated that this case is an exception, suggesting that Weinstein's testimony might help to anchor the narrative.

Aidala said, "Usually the defendant is the last person to testify… often it is the most difficult decision for a defense attorney to make. There are often cases where the lawyers say there’s no way, shape or form your client can testify. That’s not the case here. It is an option."

Weinstein has allegedly spent considerable time reading transcripts from his initial trial — a massive document that is thousands of pages long. As per Aidala, Weinstein has taken minute-by-minute notes and is dead set on vindicating his name, insisting on all his encounters being consensual.

He said,"[Weinstein] powered through it, and he has notes on everything. He’s finally looking forward to getting his name cleared."

The retrial will start April 15 with the pre-trial hearings from March 12. Weinstein's lawyers also argued that his 2020 conviction was clouded by prejudicial considerations associated with the #MeToo campaign.

In the meantime, Harvey Weinstein is behind bars, serving out a 16-year sentence for a different 2022 California rape conviction.