Harvey Weinstein retrial begins: Prosecutors say Hollywood mogul made assault victims ‘really feel small’

Prosecutors in Harvey Weinstein’s retrial advised a Manhattan jury on Wednesday that the disgraced Hollywood mogul used his energy and affect to sexually assault ladies and make them “really feel small,” ignoring their pleas to cease.
Weinstein, 73, is dealing with retrial on fees of sexually assaulting former manufacturing assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013. A brand new rely has additionally been added, alleging he assaulted a 19-year-old aspiring mannequin, Kaja Sokola, in a Manhattan lodge that very same yr.
Assistant District Legal professional Shannon Lucey, in her opening assertion, detailed the alleged assaults, saying all three ladies resisted Weinstein’s advances. “He made all these ladies really feel small,” Lucey mentioned. “When he needed one thing, he took it.”

Describing the 2006 assault, Lucey advised jurors that Weinstein, “thrice her measurement,” cornered Haleyi in an condo, kissed and groped her, and compelled oral intercourse on her regardless of her repeated rejections.
Weinstein, wearing a darkish swimsuit and showing in a wheelchair, sometimes glanced on the jury throughout proceedings. Lucey referred to as him “some of the highly effective males in present enterprise,” asserting he used that standing to take advantage of susceptible ladies within the business.
The trial is predicted to run for 5 to 6 weeks and consists of testimony from accusers who had been central to the 2020 conviction that was later overturned. That ruling by New York’s highest courtroom discovered that the inclusion of extra uncharged testimony on the unique trial had prejudiced the jury.
Weinstein’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, challenged the prosecution’s narrative, saying the jury would hear no proof of pressure or lack of consent. He claimed Mann launched Weinstein to her mom after the alleged rape and that Haleyi continued to have a “consensual” relationship with him. “Not responsible, not responsible, not responsible,” Aidala repeated to the jury.
Greater than 80 ladies have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct since his downfall in 2017, together with Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd. He has denied all allegations and maintains the encounters had been consensual.
Weinstein is at the moment serving a 16-year jail sentence in California following a separate conviction for raping a European actress. The retrial in New York comes greater than seven years after his fall from energy triggered the worldwide #MeToo motion.