First accuser resumes giving evidence in Harvey Weinstein's rape retrial
Miriam Haley is the first of the ex-Hollywood honcho's accusers to give evidence at the retrial, which is happening because New York's highest court overturned Weinstein's 2020 conviction.
The former TV production assistant told a jury on Wednesday that Weinstein held her down on a bed and forced oral sex on her after she told him: 'No, no — it's not going to happen.'
Dabbing her eyes, Ms Haley recalled what ran through her mind during the alleged assault in July 2006: 'The unthinkable was happening, I just thought any unthinkable thing could happen. I just didn't know where it ended.'
Weinstein, sitting between his lawyers, shook his head as she spoke.
The 73-year-old former studio boss has pleaded not guilty and denies sexually assaulting anyone.
Ms Haley gave evidence at the original trial and was candid last year about her mixed feelings about repeating the experience.
Weinstein's lawyers have not yet had their chance to question her and potentially try to poke holes in her account.
But the defence has sought vigorously — if often unsuccessfully — to rein in the scope of Ms Haley's evidence by objecting to prosecutors' questions, such as multiple queries about whether she had any sexual interest in Weinstein.
Ms Haley said she did not.
The defence has argued that all of Weinstein's accusers consented to sexual encounters with him in hopes of getting work in show business.
Ms Haley began giving evidence on Tuesday by describing how she got to know Weinstein.
She briefly worked as a production assistant on his company's reality show 'Project Runway' in June 2006 and said she had a series of interactions with him that were sometimes inappropriate and suggestive, but other times professional and polite.
Throughout, Ms Haley said, she was only looking for professional opportunity — not sex or romance — with the then-powerful producer of such Oscar winners as 'Shakespeare in Love' and 'Gangs of New York'.
Ms Haley, who has also gone by the name Mimi Haleyi, has not yet delved into the alleged sexual assault that underlies one of the charges against Weinstein.
Weinstein's retrial includes charges based on allegations from Ms Haley and another accuser from the original trial, Jessica Mann, who was once an aspiring actor.
She alleges that Weinstein raped her in 2013.
He is also being tried, for the first time, on an allegation of forcing oral sex on former model Kaja Sokola in 2006.
Her claim was not part of the first trial.
Ms Mann and Ms Sokola also are expected to give evidence at some point.
The Associated Press generally does not name people who allege they have been sexually assaulted unless they give permission for their names to be used.
Ms Haley, Ms Mann and Ms Sokola have done so.
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