A sexual abuse trial involving Harvey Weinstein is ongoing, with one of his accusers breaking down in tears while testifying on the witness stand.
Warning: The following article contains references to sexual assault
Miriam Haley claims that the former Hollywood mogul forced her to perform oral sex in July 2006.
The case is being retried after the appeals court overturned his previous conviction last year.
At that time, Ms Haley was employed as a production assistant.
Weinstein has vehemently denied all allegations, and Ms Haley had also testified at Weinstein’s initial trial.
Miriam Haley. AP file pic
Harvey Weinstein on Wednesday as he appeared for his retrial. Pic: AP
The 48-year-old witness was testifying in a Manhattan court when Weinstein’s defense lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, questioned her account of the incident.
In court, Ms. Bonjean asked Ms. Haley why she would agree to visit Weinstein’s apartment after previously testifying about his prior behavior, which included her allegation that he had forced his way into her home.
Ms. Haley then became emotional when asked about how her clothes were removed before Weinstein allegedly performed oral sex on her.
She said Weinstein took off her clothing, but she couldn’t remember the details, before Ms. Bonjean asked, “You removed your clothes, right?”
Read more:
Harvey Weinstein retrial: ‘He had all the power’
Weinstein accuser felt ‘the unthinkable was happening’ during alleged assault
Ms. Haley then told the jurors, “It was he who raped me, not the other way around”—to which his lawyer responded, “That is for the jury to decide.”
She then started crying, stating, “No, it’s not for the jury to decide. It’s my experience. And he did that to me.”
According to NBC News, Ms. Haley said during this exchange, “Don’t tell me I wasn’t raped by that f*****g asshole.”
Judge Curtis Farber then stopped the questioning and sent the jurors on a break. Ms. Haley’s eyes were red, and her face was glistening as she left the witness stand.
In February 2020, Weinstein was found guilty of sexually assaulting Ms. Haley—as well as raping former actor Jessica Mann in a New York hotel in 2013—and sentenced to 23 years in prison.
His conviction for these two crimes was overturned in April after an appeals court ruled the trial judge had unfairly allowed testimony against Weinstein based on allegations not part of the case.
After the appeal ruling, Weinstein was charged with raping one woman and forcing oral sex on two others.
Two of the charges are those from the original trial, while the third, involving the charge of forcing oral sex on Kaja Sokola, was added last year.
Weinstein denies all allegations, and his lawyers argue his accusers had consensual sexual encounters.
Regardless of the outcome of the retrial, he will remain in prison due to his 2022 conviction in Los Angeles for a separate count of rape. His lawyers are also appealing this sentence.
