Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault.

During the hearing, the 67-year-old told the court he had fond memories of his accusers and that men facing allegations in the #MeToo movement are accused of “things that none of us understood”.

The disgraced film producer, who arrived for sentencing in a wheelchair, committed a “lifetime of abuse towards others” as well as the crimes for which he has been convicted, prosecutors have said.

Once one of Hollywood’s most influential figures, Weinstein was convicted of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann following a landmark trial earlier this year.

While he did not testify during the trial, he spoke in court at the sentencing on Wednesday, saying he was confused by the case against him.

“I’m not going to say these aren’t great people,” he said of his accusers. “I had wonderful times with these people. I’m just genuinely confused. Men are confused about this issue.”

He said his wives had no knowledge of his actions while they were married to him, and that he went to “extraordinary lengths to hide my extra-marital affairs”.

Both Ms Haleyi and Ms Mann were applauded by onlookers as they arrived to speak at the hearing.

Lead prosecutor Joan Illuzzi told the court that had it not been for women coming forward, Weinstein “would never have been stopped from hurting more lives”.

Describing the movie mogul as a “sex addict and an anger addict” who “got drunk on power”, she said his trial had shown “a few survivors of his wrath but there were many more”.

In tears, Ms Haleyi told Judge James Burke that the 2006 attack “scarred me deeply, mentally and emotionally, perhaps irreparably – perhaps forever”.

She said she avoids dating because she doesn’t want to hurt people, have them feel embarrassed or distance themselves when they find out what happened to her.

“I believe that if Harvey Weinstein was not convicted by this jury, it would happen again and again and again,” she told the court.

Weinstein’s lawyers had been seeking the minimum sentence of five years, citing his age and poor health. He used a walker throughout his trial and the wheelchair for the sentencing.

More than 100 women, including famous actresses, have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct stretching back decades, fuelling the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse and harassment.

After the sentencing, a group of 24 accusers who call themselves the Silence Breakers – including actresses Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan and Rosanna Arquette – released a statement saying: “Harvey Weinstein’s legacy will always be that he’s a convicted rapist.

“He is going to jail – but no amount of jail time will repair the lives he ruined, the careers he destroyed, or the damage he has caused.

“The Silence Breaker community was founded on solidarity, support, and compassion. The New York trial has ended, but the Silence Breakers will persist in our crusade for cultural change, justice and to have our voices heard.”

A second criminal case – for which Weinstein denies the charges – is pending in California.

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