Friends of one of Harvey Weinstein's accusers described her as “distraught” when she told them she was allegedly sexually assaulted by the Hollywood producer, a court has heard.
Adding a new dimension to the former film producer's retrial, a witness testified on Thursday that she once offered accuser Miriam Haleyi a meeting with Weinstein, now 73, but Ms. Haleyi declined.
“She showed no desire to meet him or have any intimate relationship with him,” witness Christina Pressman said, describing Ms Haley as “distraught” after she later told of the alleged sexual assault.
Some new details show that this trial is a continuation — though not an exact repeat — of the 2020 trial in which Weinstein was initially found guilty of rape and sexual assault.
This decision has since been reversed.
Ms. Pressman did not testify at the original trial. This time, prosecutors called her to support Ms. Haleyi’s allegations, but Weinstein’s lawyers grilled her about whether Ms. Haleyi had consensual sexual relations with the Oscar-winning producer. “Never,” Ms. Pressman said.
Ms. Haleyi is a former production assistant on the Weinstein-produced television show Project Runway.
Weinstein claims he never committed rape or sexual assault.
His lawyers say the accusers agreed to have sexual relations with the Oscar-winning producer in hopes of making it big in the entertainment industry.
In 2017, Weinstein became a symbol of the villain of the #MeToo movement after multiple allegations of sexual harassment were made against him.
In 2020, he was found guilty of raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann and forcing oral sex on Ms. Haley.
Last year, New York's highest court overturned the conviction, ruling that the trial judge had allowed prejudicial evidence.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
