Harvey Weinsteins sexual assault case moves toward conclusion as key testimony looms

Mint

3 days ago

Washington [US], May 30 (ANI): Former filmmaker Harvey Weinstein, currently facing charges of rape and sexual assault, is reportedly "seriously contemplating" testifying in his ongoing trial.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the decision comes as his defence team carefully evaluated the pros and cons of putting the former film producer on the stand as the case approaches its final stages.
Weinstein's attorney, Arthur Aidala, confirmed the uncertainty surrounding this choice and said, "We're going to make a game time, more or less, decision," as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.
Aidala emphasised that the decision to testify is ultimately in the hands of the defendant himself, and revealed that one of his legal partners had spent Memorial Day weekend preparing Weinstein for the possibility.
"Weinstein is considering the emotional and strategic aspects of a 'he-said, she-said' case," Aidala said, adding, "There is a part of him that is seriously contemplating whether human beings feel obligated to hear the other side of the story."
Weinstein's decision to testify comes in the wake of a recent interview, in which he asserted his innocence, further fueling media attention surrounding the trial.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, this trial marks a new chapter for Weinstein, who had previously chosen not to testify during his 2020 trial in New York or his California case on similar charges.
Weinstein, who has remained present throughout the proceedings, is being retried on charges related to allegations from three women.
The most notable of these claims come from former production assistant Miriam Haley, who alleges that Weinstein forced oral sex on her in his Manhattan apartment in 2006, and aspiring actress Jessica Mann, who claims she was raped by Weinstein in a Manhattan hotel in 2013.
These allegations were central to Weinstein's original conviction in 2020, which was later overturned in April 2024.
In addition to these charges, Weinstein is facing new accusations from a third woman, Kaja Sokola, who alleges that he forcibly performed oral sex on her in a Manhattan hotel in 2006.
All three women have taken the stand over the past few weeks, providing testimony that the defence team has fiercely contested, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
As the trial continued, the prosecution rested its case on Wednesday, having called a series of witnesses to testify about the encounters between Weinstein and the women involved.
Weinstein's defence team began its case shortly after, calling upon medical professionals to discuss erectile dysfunction medications and their relevance to the accusations.
On Thursday, the defence team brought in Helga Rose Samuelson, a former roommate of Kaja Sokola, to question the nature of the relationship between Sokola and Weinstein.
Samuelson claimed that Weinstein had visited their apartment in 2005 and entered a bedroom with Sokola. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Sokola denied this encounter when she testified.
The defence has also considered calling conservative pundit Candace Owens as a witness, citing potential communications between Owens and Jessica Mann regarding whether Mann viewed her encounter with Weinstein as rape.
However, this line of questioning was swiftly struck from the record, with the judge instructing the jury to disregard it as having "no factual basis," as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.
Despite the potential for additional witnesses, Aidala has clarified that they do not expect to call Owens to testify, given her recent childbirth and the lack of significant evidence to justify her appearance in court.
As the defence continues to present its case, the question of whether Weinstein will testify remains one of the most significant decisions in the trial.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, if Weinstein ultimately chooses not to take the stand, closing arguments are expected to take place on Tuesday, signalling the nearing conclusion of the high-profile case.
In a final twist, Weinstein's legal team has issued subpoenas for attorney Gloria Allred, who represents Miriam Haley, but Aidala noted that they have not pursued the subpoena aggressively. (ANI)