Harvey Weinstein accuser Jessica Mann stares down movie mogul in court after she recounts alleged rape
NEW YORK — Harvey Weinstein accuser Jessica Mann stared down the disgraced movie mogul after taking the witness stand Tuesday, pointing a finger at her eyes as she stalked past the defense table in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Mann, 39, had just finished an emotional recounting of how Weinstein violently raped her in a California hotel at the former Miramax Films head's retrial on sexual assault charges.
That finger gesture, and her testimony, led defense lawyer Arthur Aidala to move for a mistrial, calling the description of the alleged Peninsula Hotel attack, which he isn't charged with, 'highly prejudicial.'
'That's absolutely inappropriate, that's inappropriate behavior by her,' Aidala said. Judge Curtis Farber rejected his calls for a mistrial, bringing the number of unsuccessful mistrial motions by Aidala up to nine.
Mann, whose testimony began Monday, also took the stand in Weinstein's 2020 trial, but the ex-producer's guilty verdict and 23-year prison sentence was overturned by the state's highest court last year.
The retrial, which is in its fifth week, also featured days of testimony from two other accusers, former TV production assistant Miriam Haley — who also took the stand in 2020 — and Polish model and aspiring actress Kaja Sokola.
Mann testified Monday that she met the then-married Weinstein in late 2012 or early 2013, and embarked on a 'relationship' with him despite his forcibly performing oral sex on her in a Midtown hotel in March 2013.
Her testimony Tuesday morning centered on an encounter in the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. Mann was getting into a serious relationship with an actor, she said, and she wanted a sit-down meeting with Weinstein. 'I just wanted this agreement that I would be moving on with my life,' she said.
But when she wouldn't give up her beau's name, Weinstein exploded in fury, she said.
'His eyes went black, and he was angry,' she said. 'He went into a rage. He lunged at me ... he grabbed me and was pulling me into the room, and it happened to me so fast and so forceful.'
She added, 'He dragged me into the bedroom and he threw me on the bed, and he said, 'You owe me one more time.''
Mann said he ripped her pants with such force that his fingernails left scratch marks on her legs. She curled into a ball by the headboard, paralyzed by fear, and he grabbed her ankles, pulled her down and started raping her, she testified.
'At some point I remember his weight on me, and there's so much weight on me. And my head was stuck, and I couldn't breathe. And I just remember everything went black,' she said. She came to on her knees, with Weinstein forcing her into performing oral sex, said.
'And he was done, and I crawled to the bathroom, and I got up, and I remember that I saw myself in the mirror but I didn't know it was me for a moment, and I didn't recognize myself,' she said.
Mann appeared overcome with emotion as she described the alleged attack, and had to take a break from her testimony. The pointing incident happened as she left the courtroom.
Mann said she was so disoriented she couldn't drive home, and she weighed going to the police and agreeing to take a rape exam at a hospital, but decided against it.
'I just imagined more poking and prodding, and I just imagined I would have to say his name,' she said. 'And I didn't know what happened if I would say his name.' So she took an hourslong shower, resolving, 'I'm going to bury this so deep, and I'm going to forget about this and move on with my life.'
Weinstein does not face charges in connection with the allegations from the Peninsula Hotel. Rather, he's charged in connection with the March 2013 rape at Manhattan's DoubleTree Hotel.
Over the next several years, she kept in touch with Weinstein, showering him with compliments over email but trying to avoid nighttime meetings alone with him. Still, she said, she had a handful of consensual encounters with Weinstein after she and her actor boyfriend broke up.
'I remember I was devastated after my relationship ended. And sometimes you just want to feel wanted. And I knew that I could be used by someone,' she said.
_____
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Poland detains citizen suspected of spying for Russia
A Polish citizen has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia, the Polish Prosecutor's Office announced on June 11. According to prosecutors, 28-year-old Wiktor Z. was detained on June 4 by Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) on charges of gathering and passing sensitive information to Russia's intelligence services. The arrest followed searches of several properties in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region in northern Poland, authorities said. Warsaw has intensified its crackdown on Russian intelligence activity following a number of sabotage attacks allegedly directed by Moscow. Several suspected spy networks, allegedly run by Minsk and Moscow, have been uncovered in Poland over the past years. Prosecutors said Wiktor Z. is suspected of offering to cooperate with Russian intelligence and engaging in espionage between February 2024 and April 2025 in the city of Bydgoszcz and abroad. He allegedly collected data about infrastructure critical to Poland's defense, the disclosure of which could pose a serious threat to national security. The suspect acted "out of ideological and pro-Russian convictions," the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Wiktor Z. has been placed in pretrial detention for three months. If convicted, he faces a minimum of eight years in prison or up to a life sentence. In May, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Krakow after accusing Russian intelligence of orchestrating a 2024 arson attack that destroyed the Marywilska shopping center in Warsaw. Polish officials, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Justice Minister Adam Bodnar, have blamed the Kremlin for directing the sabotage, citing detailed intelligence. Multiple individuals have been arrested in connection with the fire, which burned down a complex housing over 1,400 stores. Authorities in Lithuania have also linked Russia's intelligence services to similar sabotage incidents, including an arson attack on an IKEA warehouse in Vilnius, causing over half a million euros in damages. Polish and Lithuanian officials are reportedly cooperating on the investigations. Russia has denied involvement and condemned Poland's move to shut down its diplomatic post, warning of retaliation. Western officials have warned of a growing Russian sabotage campaign across Europe targeting states that support Ukraine amid Moscow's ongoing invasion. Read also: From spy rings to arson — Russia's sabotage across Europe continues unpunished We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
5 hours ago
Weinstein jury deliberations scrutinize one accuser's account
NEW YORK -- Jurors in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial are drilling down on one of the three charges against him: a rape accusation from a woman who also said she had a consensual relationship with him. The seven female and five male jurors are poised to start their fifth day of deliberations Wednesday by re-hearing Jessica Mann's testimony that he raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. Mann's accusation was an apparent focus of Tuesday's deliberations, and the jury ended the day by asking to be re-read her testimony about what happened between her and Weinstein at the hotel. The group also indicated it wants to continue privately reviewing her emails with Weinstein and some 2017 medical records concerning her reaction to news accounts of other women's allegations against him. The former Hollywood powerbroker, 73, has pleaded not guilty to raping Mann and to forcing oral sex on two other women, Mimi Haley and Kaja Sokola. The Oscar-winning producer maintains that he never sexually assaulted or raped anyone, and his lawyers portrayed his accusers as opportunists who accepted his advances because they wanted a leg up in the entertainment world. While all three women stayed in contact with Weinstein despite what they say were assaults, Mann had a particularly complex history with him. During days on the witness stand, she testified that they had a consensual relationship that exploded into rape, yet continued afterward. Weinstein was one of the movie industry's most powerful figures until a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him became public in 2017, fueling the #MeToo movement and eventually leading to criminal charges. He originally was convicted in 2020 of raping Mann and forcing oral sex on Haley. Sokola's allegation was added last year, after New York state's highest court overturned the 2020 conviction and sent the case back for retrial. Meanwhile, Weinstein is appealing a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles. After a couple of days of apparent interpersonal friction, the retrial jury worked through Tuesday with no further complaints. The Associated Press generally does not identify people without their permission if they say they have been sexually assaulted. Sokola, Mann and Haley have agreed to be named.
Business of Fashion
5 hours ago
- Business of Fashion
Why Lace and Crochet Are Everywhere Right Now
The day H&M launched its Magda Butrym capsule collection, Butrym took her husband and son out of town for a quick vacation. 'I was so nervous it wouldn't do well,' the designer said, 'but when I checked my phone, it had sold out immediately!' In fact, just minutes after H&M's website went live with the collaboration on April 25, the site and app both crashed. Subsequently, the fast-fashion giant's Instagram was flooded with angry messages from shoppers who weren't fast enough to get their hands on one of the 45 pieces from the line. Clearly, the Polish designer's signature floral appliqués, lace crochet and romantic tailoring at high street prices had hit a nerve. The doorhandles at Magda Butrym's New York pop-up are adorned with crochet. (Magda Butrym) Butrym, who started her brand in Warsaw in 2014, is certainly having a moment. She is bringing crochet and lace everywhere — even the doorhandles at the brand's New York pop-up are adorned with crochet. But while she is undoubtedly a modern pioneer of the style, which in her hands takes its influence from traditional Slavic and Eastern European clothing, hers is not the only brand driving the momentum. Fellow Polish brands Chylak and Karen Arcanjo have handwork built into their DNAs. Latvian brand Skarule, by Sabine Skarule, was one of the first to popularise crochet headscarves, pants and tops. UK-brand Shrimps by Hannah Weiland and Canada-based Beaufille, founded by Chloé and Parris Gordon, both tout crochet or lace as key elements of their recent collections. Lace also graced the runways of fashion giants like Chloé, Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen for their Fall-Winter 2025 collections, signalling that even big brands are returning to romantic, delicate aesthetics. 'In today's world where everything feels industrial and fast fashion, there's a growing demand for things that feel slow-moving and crafted,' said Ofri Weintraub, creative producer and founder of Spotlighttime, a page dedicated to highlighting independent brands and trending aesthetics. 'Intricate handiwork and delicate details feel like a rebellion against the noise of modern life. It's almost a form of soft resistance choosing something made with care, history and emotion over something made with speed.' Shoppers are taking note. On resale platform Depop, searches for 'Lace' are up 42 percent this year, while searches for 'Crochet' are up 95 percent. Google search interest for 'crochet' hit a five-year high this January. Part of this growth is driven by the booming bridal industry. Like many non-bridal brands, Magda Butrym has recently added her own bridal capsule collection, leveraging the seamless crossover in production that bridalwear bears with her core collection, along with added benefits like heightened social media exposure and added revenue. But the romantic connotations of lace and embroidery have also transcended weddings and crept their way, slowly but surely, into daily life. 'After the big trend of quiet luxury, crochet and embroidery are quite dreamy and stand out a lot,' Butrym said. 'I've been doing it already for 10 years, but now it's having its moment.' The Handmade Movement High street and fast-fashion brands have been quick to adopt the aesthetics of handwork in their collections. Weintraub pointed out that lace and crochet can be found all over platforms like Shein and Aliexpress, as well as at mid-range brands such as Reformation. Brands like Butrym's, however, are winning over customers with their authenticity. 'I think people are looking for something authentic,' said Weintraub. 'If you want to buy something authentic, you go to this designer where the aesthetic is woven into the DNA.' 'I can totally see how it's exploding, it's nice for me to see the comeback,' said Zofia Chylak, who is also from Poland and is the founder of her namesake brand, Chylak, which features traditional local embroidery and weaving techniques in its most recent collections. 'I feel we need a story when we buy something now, to know where it comes from, who made it. With crochet, lace and embroidery there is so much to say.' Chylak's Wilanow campaign inspired by the traditional clothing of Polish towns. (Chylak) The brand employs local Polish artisans, all female, to craft its handmade pieces. To make one of its signature collars takes more than 60 hours. The women who still know the techniques are usually retired and do the work out of love, according to Chylak, who worries that in a matter of years there may be nobody left who knows the craft any longer. Slavic Roots, Global Appeal Although lace and crochet have centuries-long histories that span various regions, it's no coincidence that Poland is one of the countries at the forefront of the nostalgic handmade aesthetic. 'All Polish grandmothers could crochet,' Butrym said. 'In the 1960s, during communism, there was not much in shops, no nice dresses or cute baby pieces — that pushed women to make things at home if they wanted to stand out.' Butrym feels there is a certain Slavicness in the romanticism of lace and crochet. One of her brand's recent campaigns was called 'Slavic Chic.' For her, the challenge is making the look feel relevant to the present moment. 'It was very hard for me to do it without looking too folk-ish and outdated for a modern woman,' she said, emphasising the importance of sharp styling and tailoring. What stands out about the handcrafted aesthetic is its unequivocal female dominance in a world where most big brands' creative direction is still white and male. The labels driving its resurgence tend to be female-founded and led. Both on the creative and the consumer side, lace, crochet and embroidery are resonating with women globally. It's helping Butrym connect with a growing number of female shoppers, as well as partners like H&M, despite not being a household name. 'I was surprised,' Butrym said about being approached by the Swedish retailer, 'but H&M told me that when they surveyed who to collaborate with next, my name came up the most.'
