New York, New York - The judge in the Harvey Weinstein sex crimes retrial declared a mistrial on the outstanding rape charge against the movie producer Thursday, after the jury foreperson refused to return to deliberate the count amid a jury room feud.

"Deliberations became heated to such a degree I am obligated to declare a mistrial on the one count on which you didn't reach a verdict," Judge Curtis Farber told the jury panel.

On Wednesday, the jury convicted Weinstein of sexual assault on Miriam Haley and acquitted the fallen movie mogul for allegedly sexually assaulting Kaja Sokola.

They were unable to reach a verdict on the charge that Weinstein raped Jessica Mann, and a retrial on that count will follow at a future date.

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Weinstein is already in jail for a 16-year term after he was convicted in a separate California case of raping a European actress more than a decade ago.

Proceedings in New York have been dogged by personal issues between jurors, two of whom have privately complained to the judge about the conduct of fellow panelists.

The foreman had told Judge Curtis Farber that he could not continue after facing threats.

"One other juror made comments to the effect 'I'll meet you outside one day,'" the judge said Wednesday, quoting the foreman, adding there was yelling between jurors.

After Weinstein's lawyer Arthur Aidala demanded a mistrial over the jury rupture, Weinstein himself addressed the court, deploying a commanding voice reminiscent of the heyday of his Hollywood power.

"We've heard threats, violence, intimidation – this is not right for me... the person who is on trial here," he said.