Harvey Weinstein hires Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers for New York rape trial

Harvey Weinstein has hired Luigi Mangione and Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers to represent him at his third New York rape trial.

The disgraced studio boss has made the move to overhaul his legal team after declining to enter a guilty plea, legal publication Law360 reported.

Lawyers, Jacob Kaplan, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos confirmed the move in court papers on Tuesday. They take over for Weinstein's longtime lawyer, Arthur Aidala, who has given up his courtroom role to focus on Weinstein's appeals and pending civil matters.

Kaplan was a member of Weinstein's original defence team in 2018 and is expected to have a leading role at the third trial, which involves a charge that he raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel in 2013.

At a hearing in January, Weinstein insisted he "never assaulted anyone" and said his "spirit was breaking" after nearly six years behind bars.

The trial, which was due to start on 3 March, has been postponed to an as-yet-unspecified date, but Weinstein is due in court on 4 March for a status conference.

"Harvey believes that, after two prior trials on this matter, a recalibrated outlook and strategic approach offer the most effective path forward," Weinstein spokesperson Juda Engelmayer said.

In a split verdict last June, Weinstein was convicted of forcing oral sex on one woman, acquitted of forcibly performing oral sex on another, and the jury didn't decide on the rape charge involving Mann. Deliberations ended when the foreperson refused to participate further.