MeToo Was Never Just About Weinstein — Center Survivors, Expand Restorative Justice

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline provides free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish via chat and at 800-656-4673.

On Sept. 23, a federal court in New York sentenced disgraced film executive Harvey Weinstein to 15 years in prison for the sexual assault of Miriam Haley. Weinstein is already serving a 16-year sentence in California for rape and may spend the rest of his life behind bars. Still, Miriam Haley’s victim impact statement — “Making the decision to speak up will have me looking over my shoulder for years to come. It's a life sentence for me.” — makes clear that criminal punishment cannot erase survivors’ trauma.

The Limits of Criminal Justice

The Weinstein case also exposes how the criminal justice system operates and its limits. Of the many women who came forward, prosecutors brought only three cases; one was dismissed and another was overturned on procedural grounds. According to RAINN, four out of five perpetrators of sexual violence are never charged, and roughly 8% of reported rapes and sexual assaults lead to criminal convictions. An NBC News investigation in 2025 found an even lower figure — under 4% of reported acts resulted in conviction.

High-profile allegations and mixed outcomes in politics and entertainment — from convictions to acquittals, dismissals and civil settlements — show that legal outcomes vary widely and often fail to deliver the forms of redress survivors say they need. Trials can re-traumatize survivors through prolonged public scrutiny and aggressive cross-examination, which discourages reporting and can leave survivors worse off.

Why Restorative, Survivor-Centered Approaches Matter

Because the criminal system cannot solve every harm, we should expand survivor-centered, restorative approaches that prioritize healing, agency and safety. Restorative justice is not about excusing wrongdoing or enabling revenge; instead, it focuses on repairing harm, giving survivors control over how processes unfold, and creating opportunities for meaningful accountability and healing beyond prison sentences.

"Being survivor-centered puts the person who was harmed in the driver's seat," law professors Alexa Sardina and Alissa R. Ackerman wrote in the CUNY Law Review. Survivor-centered practices let survivors shape timelines, choose locations for meetings, and control who speaks first — small decisions that can make a big difference.

Tarana Burke, who popularized the phrase "MeToo," has emphasized that the movement was never intended only to funnel abusers into the criminal system. At the 2022 Time100 Summit she urged a focus on harm reduction and prevention, saying we should expand our thinking beyond crime and punishment to include healing and cultural change.

Practical Steps Forward

Policy makers, institutions and communities should:

• Invest in survivor-centered restorative programs that offer options alongside criminal prosecution.
• Improve reporting pathways and protections so survivors are not re-victimized by the legal process.
• Prioritize prevention through education that teaches boys and men to intervene and hold peers accountable.
• Support survivor networks and services that help people heal and regain agency.

The #MeToo movement’s impact should not be judged solely by criminal convictions. Its successes include connecting survivors, elevating public awareness, and shifting conversations about consent, power and accountability. Those outcomes matter — and they point toward a broader, more humane approach to addressing sexual violence.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on Bluesky: @sarapequeno.bsky.social

If you need help: RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 800-656-4673 and online chat. If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.

Many stars have found themselves in courtrooms due to criminal charges — among them Sean "Diddy" Combs, Bill Cosby, Danny Masterson and Russell Brand. Others, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Johnny Depp, have publicly fought various civil lawsuits in court.Here's what happened in each case.If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’sNational Sexual Assault Hotlineoffers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish via chat and at 800-656-4673.(Rick Diamond and Spencer Platt/Getty Images, ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Diddy's legacyhas been tarnishedby both his federal criminal case and awave of civil sexual assault lawsuits and allegationsthat he continues to battle in courtrooms across the U.S. Though Combshas acknowledged abusing past partners, he has repeatedly denied engaging in nonconsensual sexual encounters.The Bad Boy Entertainment music mogul wasarrested in September 2024on charges ofracketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitutionfollowing lawsuits from several individuals, including ex-girlfriendCassie Venturaand producerLil Rod.(ANDREW KELLY, REUTERS)

In July 2025,Sean "Diddy" Combswas acquitted of the most serious charge in his federal criminal trial, but the jury found him guilty of lesser sex crimes.Jurors convicted him ontwo counts of transportation to engage in prostitutionbut acquitted him of racketeering — the biggest charge he faced — and both sex trafficking counts. He was latersentenced to 50 months in prison.The trial, which lasted nearly two months, saw the music mogul's reputation forever altered bystriking testimony about dayslong sex sessions called "freak offs" and domestic abuse.Combs, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was denied bail and has been in custody since his September 2024 arrest.(Robyn Beck, AFP via Getty Images)

Combs was originally indicted after apair of federal raidstargeted him as the subject of asex trafficking investigation. The trial highlighted allegations of abuse, control and coercion within the mogul's high-powered Hollywood circle. Prosecutors argued that Combs ran a multistate criminal enterprise which used his wealth and connections to entrap and exploit victims.The trial featured testimonyfrom former employees, accusers and celebrities – includingCassie,Kid CudiandDawn Richard– spotlighting an alleged pattern of sex trafficking, violence and intimidation.(Jamie McCarthy)

The criminal investigation into Combs kicked off when Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine, his former on-and-off girlfriend, filed a lawsuit accusing him ofrape, sex trafficking and physical abuse. The lawsuit was filed before the New York Adult Survivors Act expired Nov. 24, 2023. A day later, the tworeached a settlement.In a Nov. 17, 2023, statement, Cassie said, "I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support." She had a professional and sexual relationship with the rap mogul starting when she was 19 years old."We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best," Combs said in a separate statement. "Love."(Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images)

Nearly a week after Cassie and Diddy's settlement, a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal filed a lawsuit alleging she was drugged, sexually assaulted and abused, and was the victim of "revenge porn."Combs videotaped the January 1991 assault and distributed the tape to others in the music industry, according to the lawsuit obtained by USA TODAY.A spokesperson for Combs said ina statement to TMZ, "Ms. Dickerson's 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never assaulted her and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more."(Noam Galai, Getty Images for MTV)

Before and during his federal trial,Combs was named in dozens of civil lawsuitsfrom accusers who ranged from children and teens to adults, seemingly in Combs' orbit by happenstance, or young men and women who sought to make inroads in the music industry, seeing association with the Bad Boy record executive as an opportunity to pursue their dreams. Others include short-term and long-term romantic partners.Most of the cases are ongoing,while somehave beendismissed on procedural grounds.(Frazer Harrison, Getty Images)

Weinstein's New York sex-crimes conviction was previously upheld unanimously on June 2, 2022, by a five-member state appellate court that concluded his 2020 trial in Manhattan was fair, despite his lawyers' argument that prosecutors offered the jury potentially prejudicial testimony from accusers of uncharged crimes.The ruling was notable because some members of the panelduring a December 2021 hearingquestioned the role prejudicial evidence played in the Weinstein trial, which led to the reversal of his conviction on two sex crimes charges and the ordering of a new trial.The New York retrial followed Weinstein's2022 rape conviction in California, for which he was sentenced to 16 years.(Getty)

Russell Brand faces charges of rape and sexual assault in the U.K.In December 2025, the embattled comedianwas dealt new charges: one rape count and another count of sexual assault, following additional claims by two women that date back nearly two decades. Brandpleaded not guilty to the charges.(Toby Melville, REUTERS)

These weren't the only allegations against Brand. Previously, the Metropolitan Police confirmed in an April 2025 news release that the comedianhad been chargedwith rape, indecent assault, oral rape and two counts of sexual assault.Detectives in the U.K. began investigating Brand in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations, the release revealed. The tips followed a growing body of reporting in the British press that accused Brand of inappropriate sexual behavior.Brand, whohas denied wrongdoing, tookto Instagramafter the charges surfaced to respond to the charges.(Leon Neal, Getty Images)

Brand has facedmultiple accusationsof rape, sexual assault and abuse. In a report published Sept. 16, 2023,The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4's "Dispatches"revealed the accusations, which included one woman alleging Brand raped her, while three others accused him of sexual assault.Brand denied the allegations, maintaining all of his relationships have been consensual. According to U.K. media reports, Brand was interviewed by British police over three alleged sexual offenses in November 2023. Two months after the U.K. outlets' report, a Jane Doefiled a lawsuit in New Yorkand claimed she was sexually assaulted by the British comedian on the set of the 2011 "Arthur" remake.(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Young Thug, 31, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, was accused of cofounding a violent street gang named Young Slime Life commonly known as YSL that committed multiple murders, shootings and carjackings over roughly a decade. YSL is affiliated with the national Bloods gang. He was arrested on May 9, 2022.Williams,who pleaded guilty in October 2024to racketeering charges,avoided prison time when a judge sentenced him to 15 years of probation to account for time already served. On top of that 15 years, the judge ordered a "backloaded" 20 years, a sentence to be served in custody if the rapper did not complete his probation.(Jean Baptiste Lacroix, Getty Images)

Soulja Boywas found liable April 10, 2025, in a civil trial after facing allegations of sexual assault and kidnapping brought by a woman who claimed she was his former assistant.A California jury found Soulja Boy liable and awarded the plaintiff more than $4 million in compensatory damages. The outcome concluded a trial in Santa Monica, California, which sawthe rapper, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, accused of physical and sexual violence.(Mindy Small, Getty Images)

A$AP Rockyhad a three-week trial after he was charged withtwo felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearmfor allegedly firing a gun at a former friend in Hollywood, California, in November 2021.Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, was accused by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office of shooting in the direction of Terell Ephron, formerly known as A$AP Relli, over an argument. Rocky and his defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, claimed the gun was a prop firearm.The rapper and partner ofRihannafaced up to 24 years in prison if convicted on all charges, but a jurydelivered a not guilty verdictthat acquitted him of both criminal counts on Feb. 18, 2025.(Pool, Getty Images)

R. Kelly was convicted in2021and2022for racketeering, sex trafficking, child pornography and enticement.He wassentenced to 30 years in prisonin a New York City federal court in 2022 and20 years in a Chicago federal courtin 2023, to be served concurrently.He is serving his sentence in the Federal Correctional Institute facility in Butner, North Carolina, where he was hospitalized in June 2025 after an overdose following an alleged murder plot.(Jason Merritt/TERM, Getty Images for BET)

Jay-Z was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl alongside Sean "Diddy" Combs in anamended lawsuit filed in December 2024, an allegation that hevehemently denied. The Alabama woman — identified anonymously as Jane Doe — claimed the Roc Nation founder and Combs drugged and raped her at an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000.On Feb. 14, 2025, Doedismissed her lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again. In a statement, Jay-Z's attorney, Alex Spiro, said, "By standing up in the face of heinous and false allegations, Jay has done what few can – he pushed back, he never settled, he never paid 1 red penny, he triumphed and cleared his name."Combs' attorneys said in their own statement that the "complete dismissal without a settlement ... is yet another confirmation that these lawsuits are built on falsehoods, not facts. For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by an attorney more focused on media headlines than legal merit. Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them."(Phillip Faraone Photo/Getty Images)

Nearly three years after "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the set of the Western film, Alec Baldwinwent to trialfor his alleged role in the tragedy. On July 12, 2024, the third day of the trial, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommerpermanently dismissed the caseafter agreeing with the actor's lawyers, who'd argued in a filing that sheriffs and state prosecutors "concealed from Baldwin" evidence of the source of the bullet that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.Baldwin previously denied responsibility for Hutchins' death, saying the gun went off on its own after he pointed it at the cinematographer and cocked it.(John Lamparski, Getty Images)

Russell Simmons was sued in February 2024 for allegedly raping a former music video producer and Def Jam Recording executive.A woman, identified in a civil complaint filed in the Southern District of New York court as Jane Doe, alleged Simmons assaulted her sometime in the 1990s at the music mogul's Manhattan apartment.(VALERIE MACON, AFP via Getty Images)

A judge ordereddirector James Tobackto pay $1.68 billion in damages after a jury found him liable in a sexual assault trial, during which he was accused by 40 women of sex crimes over decades.Attorneys for the accusers believe the sum represents the largest sexual assault civil suit verdict in state history.Tobackdid not have legal representation during the trial. The screenwriter behind films like "Bugsy" and "Two Girls and a Guy," Toback was one ofthe first major Hollywood namesto be thrown out during the #MeToo reckoning over sexual violence in the entertainment industry.(Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images)

In July 2024, more than three years after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, actor Jay Johnstonpleaded guiltyto one felony count of obstructing officers during a civil disorder. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia sent a plea offer to Johnston's lawyer the prior month.The actor voiced Jimmy Pesto on "Bob's Burgers" and played Officer Taylor on "Arrested Development," an eyewitness news member in "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" and various characters on the short-lived sketch comedy series "W/Bob and David."(Noel Vasquez, Getty Images)

"Fast & Furious" star Vin Diesel, pictured here in the seventh installment of the film franchise, was accused of sexual battery by a former assistant.In a lawsuit filed in December 2023 in Los Angeles and obtained by USA TODAY, Asta Jonasson alleged the actor sexually assaulted her in fall 2010, during the filming of "Fast Five" in Atlanta.The case was dismisseddue to the statute of limitation of issues over jurisdiction.(Gareth Cattermole, Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images f)

Multiple women filed sexual assault lawsuits at the end of 2023 through the beginning of 2024 against Nigel Lythgoe afterPaula Adbul suedthe former "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" producer under similar circumstances. Abdul and Lythgoesettled the case.Lythgoe, who has denied all allegations against him, has sincestepped downfrom "So You Think You Can Dance."(Phillip Faraone, Getty Images for American Ballet)

South Florida rapper Kodak Black was freed from jail in February 2024 after a federal judge sentenced him to time served for a probation violation, just two weeks after a drug possession charge was dismissed in Broward County, according to court records.Kodak Black, born Bill Kapri, has been involved in a number of drug-related cases, including a 2022 arrest on charges of trafficking in oxycodone and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.(Christopher Polk, Getty Images)

A six-person juryconvicted Jonathan Majors of assaulting his former girlfriendGrace Jabbari on Dec. 18, 2023, concluding a two-week trial.A Manhattan jury found Majors guilty of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation over a confrontation with Jabbari, a British dancer and movement coach, during a car ride in Manhattan in March 2023. The "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" star was also acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment.In April 2024,he was sentencedto 52 weeks of in-person therapy domestic violence programming.(FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP via Getty Images)

On Nov. 22, 2023, Jamie Foxx was sued forallegedly sexually assaulting a womanat a New York City rooftop bar in 2015. Filing as Jane Doe, the unnamed woman accused the 55-year-old Oscar-winning actor of sexual assault and battery during an interaction at Catch NYC in August 2015.A spokesperson for Foxx denied the allegations made against the actor. Foxx's spokesperson said they were "confident" the accusations will be dismissed, and "Mr. Foxx intends to pursue a claim for malicious prosecution against this person and her attorneys" for "this frivolous action."(Kayla Oaddams, Getty Images)

ActorCuba Gooding Jr.in 2022pleaded guiltyto forcibly touching a woman at a New York nightclub in 2018, a move that resulted in no jail time.More than a year later, the Oscar winner avoided going to trialby settling a lawsuit from an unnamed womanwho said he raped her in a New York City hotel room in 2013. He denied claims the encounter was non-consensual.A few months later, in November 2023, he was sued by former accusers Jasmine Abbay and Kelsey Harbert for sexual assault and battery in two separate lawsuits.(David Dee Delgado, Getty Images)

Guns N' Roses lead singerAxl Rosewas sued by former Penthouse model Sheila Kennedy in a civil lawsuit in November 2023, which alleged that Rose "used his fame, status and power as a celebrity and performer in the music industry to gain access to manipulate, control and violently sexually assault Kennedy" at his hotel room in New York City in 1989 after meeting at a nightclub party.In the lawsuit, Kennedy detailed witnessing Rose have sex with another model "in a way that appeared painful." Kennedy claimed she left Rose's bedroom to go to another room in the hotel suite, which led the singer to become "furious" and knock her to the floor. She alleged Rose "dragged Kennedy to his bedroom like a caveman and acted with uncontrolled fury," restrained her and began "forcibly penetrating" her. The former model requested a jury trial to determine any compensatory damages if he is found liable for the sexual assault.(Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal)

A judge sentenced "That '70s Show" starDanny Mastersonto 30 years to life in prison on Sept. 7, 2023, for the rapes of two women two decades prior. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend.Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo sentenced the actor after rejecting a defense motion for a new trial. The sentence was the maximum allowed by law. Masterson is eligible for parole after serving 25½ years.Prior to his sentencing, the first trial for the case ended in a mistrial in November 2022, with jurors deadlocked on all three counts.(Bryan Bedder, Getty Images)

"Home Improvement" starZachery Ty Bryan pleaded guilty to a felony assault chargeon Oct. 25, 2023.The actor reached a plea deal that included the dismissal of a second count of felony assault and a nearly two-year prison sentence. With the deal, Bryan was sentenced to seven days in jail, 36 months of supervised probation and standard domestic violence conditions, which included "no contact with the victim without the probation officer’s approval, treatment for alcohol/substance abuse issues at the direction of the probation officer, and no alcohol or drugs."(Getty)

Bryan's arrest came three months after he wasjailed in a similar incident. In July 2023, he was arrested by the Eugene Police Department in Oregon after officers "received report of a physical dispute between a male and adult female at a north Eugene residence." The former child star, who played Tim Allen's oldest son Brad Taylor on "Home Improvement" from 1991-99, was booked in Lane County Jail with a charge of assault in the fourth degree.Bryan was also convicted of menacing and assault in the fourth degree constituting domestic violence in 2021, relating to an incident in 2020.(Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images)

Marilyn Manson wassentenced to 20 hours of community service and a fineon Sept. 18, 2023, after pleading no contest to blowing his nose on a videographer at a 2019 concert in New Hampshire.Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of simple assault stemming from the encounter with the videographer at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford on Aug. 19, 2019.Manson pleaded no contest to just the nose-blowing charge in a fully negotiated plea agreement with prosecutors. A no contest plea means Manson did not contest the charge or admit guilt.(Kevin Winter, Getty Images)

Following a four-year investigation into allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence against Manson, the newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced no charges would be filed against the singer on Jan. 24, 2025."Allegations of domestic violence fall outside of the statute of limitations, and we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt," the DA’s office’s statement read. Only a few months prior, the office said it was still investigating evidence in the "extensive case."(DANNY MOLOSHOK, REUTERS)

Multiple allegations of abuse have been leveled against the rocker over the past few years. In May 2022, a judge dismissed a case from Manson’s former assistant, who accused the embattled musician of sexual assault, battery and harassment during her employment from August 2010 to October 2011.In an order of dismissal obtained by USA TODAY, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael L. Stern said Ashley Walters had “too few facts” and pleaded “too late,” according to reports fromCBS NewsandDeadline.(Kevin Winter, Getty Images)

A London juryacquitted Kevin Spaceyof sexual assault charges on July 26, 2023. The "House of Cards" actor was cleared of all charges at the conclusion of a four-week trial that took place in London, beginning June 28, 2023. The Academy Award winner had been accused of sexual offenses against four men in Britain and pleaded not guilty to all charges.Nearly three years later, in March 2026,Spacey settled out of courtwith three accusers who'd accused him of sexual assault between 2000 and 2013; the actor denied any wrongdoing. Two of the involved claimants previously gave evidence during Spacey's 2023 criminal trial.(Carl Court, Getty Images)

Spacey’s U.K. trial took place after afederal jury in the U.S. concludedin 2022 that Spacey didn’t molest fellow actor Anthony Rapp in the 1980s, concluding acivil trialthat was an outgrowth of the #MeToo movement. Rapp had alleged Spacey acted to gratify sexual desire during an encounter at a Manhattan party in 1986, when Rapp was 14.(Chris J Ratcliffe, Getty Images)

Gwyneth Paltrow'sski collision trialcame to a close in March 2023 when a jury found Paltrow was not responsible for Terry Sanderson's injury on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, in 2016. Paltrow was awarded $1 in symbolic damages for hercounterclaim, in addition to her attorney fees.(Pool, Getty Images)

Rapper Gunna was booked into an Atlanta jail on a racketeering charge in May 2022 after he was indicted along with fellow rapper Young Thug and more than two dozen others for conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.On Dec. 14, 2022, hepleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to violate the RICO Actin an Alford plea, meaning he maintained his innocence.(ANGELA WEISS, AFP via Getty Images)

In April 2022, police escorted Miller off a Hilo property when a resident called police asking for advice about removing two houseguests from his property, Hawaii Police Assistant Chief Kenneth Quiocho told the Associated Press at the time.Miller became irateafter being asked to leave a get-together at a Big Island home and threw a chair, hitting a woman in the forehead, a news release from the Hawaii Police Department said.(Sarah Morris/Getty Images)

Miller was charged with felony burglary in Vermont.In a report released Aug. 8, 2022, Vermont State Police said they responded to a burglary complaint in Stamford on May 1, 2022, and found several bottles of alcohol were taken from a residence while the homeowners weren't present. Miller was charged after police consulted surveillance footage and interviewed witnesses.In January 2023, Miller reportedly pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor trespassing charge, according toNews10 ABC.(ROBYN BECK, AFP/Getty Images)

In March 2021, "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah and her assistant werearrested and charged in a nationwide telemarketing schemethat federal prosecutors alleged took advantage of hundreds of "vulnerable, often elderly, working-class people," The Salt Lake Tribune reported.Shah changed her plea to guilty on July 11, 2022. On Jan. 6, 2023, she was sentenced to 6½ years in prison.(Bravo, Chris Haston/Bravo)

Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard for libelin Virginia's Fairfax County Circuit Court, saying her 2018 Washington Post op-ed defamed him when she described herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." The article never mentioned Depp by name, but Depp’s lawyers said he was defamed nevertheless because the article made a clear reference to abuse allegations Heard leveled in 2016.On May 1, 2022, Deppwon the defamation lawsuitafter more than six weeks of testimony, with a Virginia jury awarding him more than $10 million in damages and vindicating his stance that Heard fabricated claims that she was abused by Depp before and during their brief marriage.(Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images)

Amber Heard partially won her counter-lawsuit against ex-husband Johnny Depp over comments made by his former lawyer Adam Waldman when he called her abuse allegations a hoax. The jury awarded her $2 million in damages.Judge Penney Azcaratemade the jury’s award official on June 24, 2022,with a written order for Depp to pay Heard $2 million for her counterclaim that she was defamed by one of his lawyers. She also ordered Heard to pay Depp $10.35 million for damaging his reputation by describing herself as a domestic abuse victim.(Pool photo by EVELYN HOCKSTEIN)

Pennsylvania’s highest court overturnedBill Cosby'ssex assault convictionon June 30, 2021, and Cosby was released from a state prison hours later.The stunning reversal for the comedian, once beloved as "America’s Dad," happened after the court found that an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented him from being charged in the case. It also shut down the possibility of a third trial in the case, according to prosecutors.(BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP via Getty Images)

Nearly 50 years after an alleged encounter at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles,Judy Huth'scivil lawsuit against Cosby went to trial in June 2022.Huth sued Cosby for sexual battery in 2014,alleging she was gropedby the TV star in 1974 when she was 15 and visiting the Playboy Mansion. Though Cosby denied her allegations, a jury delivered a verdict in favor of Huth and awarded her $500,000 in compensatory damages.(EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ, AFP via Getty Images)

Blac Chyna, a model and former reality star whose legal name is Angela White, sued Kris Jenner and her daughters Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian and Kylie Jenner for$100 million over the cancellation of her reality show "Rob & Chyna" with ex-fiancé Rob Kardashian.On May 2, 2022, a Los Angelesjury sided with the Kardashiansand found that none of the members of the family defamed Chyna, nor did any interfere with her contract by convincing the E! network to cancel her reality show “Rob & Chyna.”(Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY)

Former "19 Kids and Counting" star Josh Duggar was sentenced in May 2022 to151 months(about 12½ years) in prison for downloading and possessing child pornography. He was also ordered to 20 years of supervised release, registration as a sex offender and $50,000 in fines.Duggar was found guilty in December 2021 of one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography. He has since appealed the case.TLC canceled "19 Kids and Counting" in 2015 following a sexual abuse scandal involving Duggar, who later also admitted to porn addiction and cheating on his wife, Anna. The series' spin-off "Counting On," which featured storylines focusing on Duggar's sisters and their young families, was canceled following Duggar's charges in 2021.(D Dipasupil, Getty Images for Extra)

Drake Bell, the former star of Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh," was sentenced in July 2021 to two years' probation on child endangerment after a girl he'd met online accused him of sexual contact following her attendance at one of his concerts when she was 15.In June 2021, Bell, 36,pleaded guiltyto felony attempted child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Ohio judge Timothy McCormick sentenced him to probation and 200 hours of community service in California.(Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images for Thirst Project)

On June 30, 2021,James Francoagreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a sexual misconduct lawsuit brought by his former acting students.Details of the settlement for the suit, which alleged Franco pushed students at his Studio 4 school into increasingly sexual and exploitive scenes on camera, were made public in a Los Angeles Superior Court filing. According to the filing, $894,000 was set aside "to settle the Named Plaintiffs’ individual sexual exploitation claims" while the remaining $1.34 million was for a common fund to settle fraud claims. In an interview with Jess Cagle on SiriusXM in December 2021, headmitted to sleeping with studentsbut not anyone in his "masterclass 'Sex Scenes.'"(Alessandro Levati, Getty Images)

Armie Hammer was first accused of psychological abuse and rape by previous romantic partners in 2021, with the Los Angeles Police opening an investigation into the "Call Me By Your Name" actor in February 2021. The following month, a 24-year-old woman named Effie came forward to accuse Hammer of sexually assaulting and battering her over four hours in Los Angeles. Hammerdeniedall allegations against him.In May 2023, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office announcedthey would not be pursing criminal charges against Hammerdue to "insufficient evidence."(GETTY)

Lori Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prisonand fined $150,000 in August 2020 after she and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, took plea deals in the college admissions scandal. Giannulli was sentenced to five months in prison and a $250,000 fine.(Getty)

Felicity Huffman, another celebrity exposed in the college admissions scandal, pleaded guilty in May 2019 and was sentenced in September 2019 totwo weeks in prison and a $30,000 finefor paying $15,000 to have someone correct answers on the SAT exam of her oldest daughter, Sophia.(JOSEPH PREZIOSO, AFP/Getty Images)

Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage, born She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was taken into ICE custody for 10 days in 2019 over a visa that allegedly expired in 2006.Federal immigration officials had known 21 Savage’s status since at least 2017, when he applied for a new visa. In 2023, he was cleared to travel internationally after becoming a permanent U.S. resident.(Mike Coppola, Getty Images for MTV)

"Real Housewives of Orange County" star Gina Kirschenheiter faced an arrest warrant late in February 2019 after she failed to appear in court for a DUI arrest hearing. She pleaded guilty July 9, 2019, and was sentenced to three years of probation, six months of an alcohol program and 20 hours of community service.(Paul Archuleta, Getty Images)