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WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
During a court session on Wednesday, a former television production assistant recounted a harrowing experience involving Harvey Weinstein, claiming he restrained her on a bed and forced her to perform oral sex after she firmly stated, “No, no — it’s not going to happen.”
Miriam Haley, who has also been known as Mimi Haleyi, shared her thoughts during the alleged attack in July 2006, stating, “The unthinkable was happening. I just thought any unthinkable thing could happen. I just didn’t know where it ended.”
Weinstein, present in the courtroom flanked by his legal team, shook his head while Haley spoke of her ordeal.
Haley is the first of Weinstein’s accusers to take the stand in his ongoing rape retrial, prompted by a ruling from New York’s highest court that overturned his previous conviction from 2020.
The 73-year-old former film mogul has declared his innocence, maintaining that he never sexually assaulted anyone.
Having testified in the initial trial, Haley expressed a mix of emotions about reliving the experience.
While Weinstein’s lawyers have yet to cross-examine her, they have actively challenged the breadth of her testimony, objecting to prosecutors’ inquiries, including questions regarding any sexual interest Haley may have had in Weinstein, which she denied.
The defense maintains that all of Weinstein’s accusers engaged in consensual sexual encounters, often with the hope of advancing their careers in the entertainment industry.
New and Existing Charges Against Weinstein
Haley detailed her initial interactions with Weinstein, explaining that she briefly worked as a production assistant on his company’s reality show Project Runway in June 2006. She described a mix of professional and inappropriate encounters with him.
In the months leading up to the alleged assault, Haley visited Weinstein’s hotel room to discuss job opportunities within the film and television sectors.
However, she reported that the conversation quickly shifted to personal topics. “He began commenting on my legs and suggested we give each other massages,” she recounted. Haley refused his advances and said she felt overwhelmed with humiliation the moment she left his presence.
“I felt taken aback. I felt humiliated,” she testified. “It was just kind of like a sinking feeling that he wasn’t taking me seriously at all.”
Haley emphasized that her sole intention was to seek professional opportunities with the influential producer behind several acclaimed films, including Shakespeare in Love and Gangs of New York.
The retrial encompasses allegations from Haley and another complainant from the original proceedings, Jessica Mann, who claims that Weinstein raped her in 2013. Additionally, Weinstein faces new charges regarding an allegation made by former model Kaja Sokola, who asserts that he forced her into oral sex in 2006—a claim not included in the previous trial.
Both Mann and Sokola are also expected to testify in the ongoing litigation.
If you’re in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911. For support in your area, you can look for crisis lines and local services via the Ending Violence Association of Canada database.
Source
www.cbc.ca