Judi Dench, a renowned British actress, has ignited online controversy by stating that convicted Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has “done his time” and questioning whether forgiveness now applies. The 90-year-old Oscar winner shared these views in a recent interview, reflecting on her extensive collaborations with Weinstein and the lasting impact of his crimes on his legacy.
Dench emphasized that she knew Weinstein closely through their successful Miramax projects, which boosted her Hollywood career, and she never witnessed inappropriate behavior from him toward herself—yet she expressed deep sympathy for his numerous accusers. Weinstein currently serves a lengthy prison term after a California jury convicted him of rape and sexual assault, compounding multiple #MeToo-era verdicts that exposed his decades-long abuses and reshaped the entertainment industry through survivors’ powerful testimonies.
Dench’s advocacy for personal forgiveness and her suggestion that prison time suffices drew sharp social media criticism, with many labeling her “out of touch” for seemingly minimizing survivors’ enduring pain. Critics argued her words undermine #MeToo’s hard-won progress and risk overshadowing victims’ ongoing trauma.
