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April 25th , 2025

Zechariah Nyamekye

15 hours ago

WEINSTEIN USED UNFETTERED POWERL TO SEXUALLY ABUSE WOMEN, RAPE RETRIAL HEARS

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15 hours ago

In the New York retrial of Harvey Weinstein, prosecutors accused the disgraced film producer of using his immense power in Hollywood to sexually harass and abuse three women in opening statements on Wednesday. "The defendant wanted their bodies, and the more they resisted, the more forceful he got," Assistant District Attorney Shannon Lucey told jurors on Wednesday.
Weinstein is accused of sexually abusing a former television production assistant, an aspiring actress, and a model in his third trial in five years. The former film mogul has pleaded not guilty, and in court his lawyer sought to cast doubt on the women's claims and credibility.
After hearing all of the evidence, the prosecution's case, according to attorney Arthur Aidala, would "fall flat on its face." "They're going to ask you to make sense of things that just don't make sense," he said.
Before he was indicted in September on new sexual assault charges in the state, a court of appeals overturned Weinstein's previous sex crimes conviction in New York. Weinstein's fate will be decided by 12 jurors, seven of whom will be women and five of whom will be men. On Wednesday, Ms Lucey spent an hour delivering an opening statement, telling jurors that three women had fallen victim to the abuse of a "Hollywood gatekeeper" who held "unfettered power for over 30 years in that industry".
The retrial in New York is centred on two women who brought allegations against Weinstein for his 2020 trial, actress Jessica Mann and former TV production assistant Miriam Haley. This time, the trial also includes allegations from former Polish model and actress Kaja Sokola, who has accused Weinstein of assaulting her when she was 16.
On Wednesday, Ms Lucey recounted the three women's stories of assault and harassment, sparing few details. The alleged encounters often involved Weinstein bringing women to his room under the guise of a business meeting, before he allegedly forced himself onto them.
Victims "kept their shame and their pain to themselves" for years because of Weistein's role as a man who "defined the field" of acting and film, Ms Lucey said.
Weinstein's attorney was combative during his hour-long opening statements, claiming that the women were motivated by money and had "mutually beneficial" sexual relationships with Weinstein. Mr. Aidala stated, "These women are addicted to that fame." "They want to be heroes."
Mr Aidala argued that Weinstein could not have assaulted the women because they kept in contact with him and sent him friendly messages after the encounters.
A court of appeals ruled in April that Weinstein, who is now 73 years old, did not receive a fair trial in New York in 2020 because the judge who was handling his case allowed women who had made allegations against him for conduct for which he was never charged. After being found guilty, Weinstein had been sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York. He was also found guilty of rape in a separate trial in California in 2022 and was sentenced to 16 years in that case.
Cancer and diabetes are among Weinstein's medical conditions. He had heart surgery in September and is now being held in a secure hospital unit. A request from Weinstein's attorneys to allow him to stay at the Bellevue hospital in Manhattan when he is not in court has been granted by a judge. His lawyers had complained that he was receiving poor medical treatment in unhygienic conditions at the infamous Rikers Island prison facility - which officials have long said they plan to close - though the move has been delayed.
In total, Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct, assault and rape by more than 100 women.
He has yet to begin serving his 16-year California sentence, so it is likely that he will spend the rest of his life in prison. The #MeToo movement against sex abuse by powerful men was sparked by his accusers' decision to come forward and his subsequent conviction in New York. Ms. Lucey told jurors on Wednesday that the three women were able to come forward in the criminal case against Weinstein because they "suddenly realized they were not alone" thanks to the movement. Before the allegations against him emerged, Weinstein and his brother Bob were among Hollywood's ultimate power players.
Weinstein co-founded Miramax film studio, whose hits included Shakespeare in Love, which won best picture at the Academy Awards, and Pulp Fiction.
His films have received more than 300 Oscar nominations and 81 wins.
The former film mogul has also faced a number of civil lawsuits, including from a group of women who accused him of sexual harassment and rape and reached a $19m (£14.2) settlement with him in 2020.

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WEINSTEIN USED UNFETTERED POWERL TO SEXUALLY ABUSE WOMEN, RAPE RETRIAL HEARS

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