Chicago defense attorney opens up about defending disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein

A Chicago defense attorney is opening up about her role in the trial of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Earlier this month, charges were dropped in one case against Weinstein, but he still faces charges in New York and California.

It was an international movement. Survivors of sexual abuse screaming, #MeToo and no more

Film producer Harvey Weinstein was practically a poster child for the campaign. According to published reports, more than 80 women, some of them Hollywood's biggest stars, lodged public complaints against the entertainment mogul—everything from sexual misconduct to criminal sexual assault.

In May of 2018, Weinstein was arrested and charged with rape in New York City.

"So I got a call from a friend of Harvey's one day, saying that, you know, this guy from New York, it was a big case and they needed to talk to me," said Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Donna Rotunno. "They apparently got my name from a variety of different sources. They have done a lot of research. They felt that I had tried more sexual assault cases than anybody they could find ... I said, 'Well, I needed to talk to him."

She took the case.

"I believe that he deserved to have his day in court and he deserved his due process that should be afforded to anybody charged with a crime. And I knew that I was the person who could make that happen," she said.

That decision was six years ago.

"I've never regretted taking Harvey Weinstein case. Never," Rotunno said.

No regrets, despite the fallout.

"I got death threats. I received awful messages on Twitter and on direct messages on Instagram and letters to my office about how could a woman stand up and represent a monster like Harvey Weinstein," she said.

Her response—twofold.

"My problem with it was that it was allegations made without any backing up, any due process and it ruined people's lives," she said.

And personally…

"Personally, it comes from good parents," she said.

Her parents, a math teacher and entrepreneur, raised her and her sister in suburban Westchester. Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, University of Illinois undergrad, Kent Law.

"I was raised by two very strong people who never made us think there were things that we could not do," Rotunno said.

The world was definitely watching as Rotunno defended Weinstein. One hundred and eighty-seven media outlets were credentialed to cover the trial, many of them grilling Rotunno.

"It was surreal. To this day it's surreal to me," she said. "We walked into a courthouse every single day with people chanting outside that he's a rapist ... but I really didn't care because I believed in what I was doing."

At the end of the four-week trial, Weinstein was convicted of a criminal sexual act,  third-degree rape and sentenced to 23 years. Rotunno summed up the outcome.

"The only thing we ever heard about was what a monster he was and hundreds of women and these allegations. And when you really sort of boil it down, here we are left with one conviction in New York and one conviction in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles conviction came in 2002. Weinstein is facing a new sentencing in that case. The New York conviction was overturned in 2024, but in 2025 he was retried and convicted of a sex charge. He's now awaiting sentencing in New York as well.

"It's definitely not an easy situation. But he's a guy who's made the best of it. He has never stopped fighting. He's been very positive," she said.

Weinstein has a new legal team. Rotunno helps when needed, and she continues to defend men accused of sexual assault.

"Palm Beach County, Florida, Louisville, Kentucky, Las Vegas, Nevada, Los Angeles, California, where else have I been lately? And I have a current case in New York," she said.

The notoriety from her famous case also led to features on media outlets and her own podcast. Looking back, Rotunno says she's proud of the work she did in the case.

"I'm proud of the work that we did. I'm proud that we stood our ground. I'm grateful for the opportunity," she said.

Weinstein's appeals and legal battle continue as he serves time at Rikers Island in New York. He's also undergoing medical treatment for Leukemia. Rotunno is hoping the judges in LA and New York consider his health challenges when deciding his sentencing.