Harvey Weinstein’s retrial has begun with Miriam Haley, one of his accusers, testifying that he forced oral sex on her in 2006 after she told him to stop. Haley, a former entertainment producer, recalled the alleged assault, which occurred when she was 40 years old and working as a production assistant on a reality TV show produced by Weinstein.
Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges related to the allegations against Haley and two other accusers, Jessica Mann and Kaja Sokola. The retrial comes after New York’s highest court overturned his 2020 conviction.
Haley testified that she met Weinstein through a mutual connection and was briefly invited to visit his Manhattan apartment, which became an opportunity for him to make unwanted advances. She said she rebuffed his initial advances but felt pressured into continuing their interactions due to her immigration status.
The alleged assault occurred when Haley told Weinstein she didn’t want sex, but he ignored her pleas and forcibly performed oral sex on her. She said she later agreed to meet Weinstein at a hotel room, where he again made unwanted advances.
Despite the traumatic nature of the incident, Haley continued to have contact with Weinstein over the next few months and years, exchanging cordial messages and emails. However, prosecutors argued that these interactions were part of an attempt by Haley to secure professional backing from Weinstein.
Haley described her efforts to cope with the trauma of the assault, including suppressing her emotions and using phrases such as “lots of love” in her emails. The retrial will also include testimony from Mann and Sokola, who allege that Weinstein raped them in 2013 and 2006, respectively.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/harvey-weinstein-retrial-miriam-haley-metoo-a4df6e32641aaa20ccabf730d77c81b5