Pals of one in all Harvey Weinstein’s accusers testified Thursday that the girl informed them way back that Weinstein sexually assaulted her.
Including a brand new perspective to the ex-movie mogul’s retrial, one witness stated she’d as soon as urged that accuser Miriam Haley date the film mogul, however Haley balked.
“She had zero interest in dating him or sleeping with him,” witness Christine Pressman stated, describing Haley as “distraught” when she later disclosed the alleged sexual assault.
Among the rising particulars present how this trial is a reprise — however not an actual repeat — of the 2020 trial by which Weinstein was initially convicted of rape and sexual assault. That conviction has since been overturned.
Pressman did not testify on the authentic trial. Prosecutors introduced her on this time to help Haley’s allegations, however Weinstein’s legal professionals quizzed her about whether or not Haley in reality had a keen sexual relationship with the Oscar-winning studio boss.
“Never,” Pressman insisted.
Haley is a former manufacturing assistant on the Weinstein-produced tv present “Project Runway.”
Weinstein, 73, maintains that he has by no means sexually assaulted or raped anybody. His legal professionals argue that his accusers agreed to sexual encounters with the Oscar-winning producer in hopes of getting forward within the leisure enterprise.
Weinstein was reworked in 2017 from a Hollywood tycoon right into a #MeToo motion villain after a sequence of sexual misconduct allegations in opposition to him turned public.
He was convicted in 2020 of raping Jessica Mann, who was as soon as an aspiring actor, and forcing oral intercourse on Haley. New York’s highest courtroom threw out the conviction final yr, discovering that the unique trial decide had allowed prejudicial testimony.
The retrial contains an extra allegation of forcible oral intercourse on a special lady, former mannequin Kaja Sokola. Weinstein has pleaded not responsible to all the fees.
Not one of the accusers has testified but, however two of Haley’s buddies took the stand Thursday to attest that she informed them in regards to the alleged July 2006 sexual assault round that point.
Elizabeth Entin, Haley’s former roommate, stated a shaken Haley informed her that month that Weinstein had forcibly carried out oral intercourse on her. Echoing her testimony on the first trial, Entin stated she urged Haley name a lawyer, however her buddy appeared disinclined.
Pressman, nonetheless, stated she suggested in opposition to turning to police when the Finnish-born Haley made the same disclosure to her in August or September of 2006.
“I said, ‘Harvey Weinstein is the king of New York. He’s extremely powerful. You are not. You’re here on a tourist visa. Just let it go,’” the previous mannequin, musician and actor recalled. She teared up as she added that she now is aware of her steering “was wrong.”
Underneath questioning from Weinstein lawyer Jennifer Bonjean, Pressman acknowledged that in some unspecified time in the future earlier than the alleged assault, she urged Haley date Weinstein. Pressman later defined that she’d been pissed off by her buddy’s style in males — guys who had been lanky, cerebral “and broke,” as Pressman put it.
Haley rejected the notion of courting Weinstein, she stated. However Bonjean went on to ask whether or not Pressman knew that Haley “had consensual sex with Mr. Weinstein.” Pressman stated her buddy did no such factor.
Haley testified on the authentic trial that she stated “no, no, no” through the alleged assault. A number of weeks later, she didn’t protest when Weinstein pulled her towards a mattress and had intercourse together with her, she stated, explaining that she merely “went numb.”
After jurors left for the day, Weinstein’s legal professionals sought a mistrial, saying Pressman’s testimony was prejudicial. They had been turned down by Choose Curtis Farber, who’s now overseeing the case.
Whereas there are numerous similarities to the primary trial, there additionally stand to be loads of adjustments.
Entin discovered herself answering questions on what she has stated and written in regards to the first trial itself, equivalent to describing her participation as her “15 minutes of fame.” Entin stated it was a joke.
And he or she wasn’t requested a few recollection that made for a memorable and uncommon gentle second on the first trial — a time when she stated Weinstein confirmed up uninvited to the condominium she shared with Haley and was chased round by Entin’s pet Chihuahua.
Farber had indicated he didn’t assume having Entin describe the purported episode was truthful sport for the trial.
The Related Press doesn’t determine individuals who allege they’ve been sexually assaulted until they comply with be named. Haley, Mann and Sokola have achieved so.
