Latest news with #Weinstein
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Harvey Weinstein's defense weighs last-minute decision on testifying as retrial reaches final stretch
As the latest courtroom drama surrounding Harvey Weinstein reaches its final act, one big question looms over the Manhattan retrial: Will the disgraced Hollywood producer testify in his own defense? Weinstein's legal team isn't saying just yet. 'We're going to make a game-time, more or less, decision,' defense attorney Arthur Aidala told reporters outside the courtroom Thursday, keeping the suspense alive. Weinstein, who skipped the stand in both his 2020 New York conviction (now overturned) and his California trial, is reportedly mulling over whether it's finally time to tell his side of the story—this time, directly to the jury. According to Aidala, one of his law partners spent the entire Memorial Day weekend preparing Weinstein in case he decides to testify. 'There is a part of him that is seriously contemplating… whether human beings feel obligated to hear the other side of the story,' Aidala said, hinting at a possible dramatic twist. The question comes just days after Weinstein gave a rare interview to conservative firebrand Candace Owens, proclaiming his innocence once again in a podcast that dropped last week. Her name has since surfaced in court too, as the defense briefly floated the idea of calling Owens as a witness—though that now appears unlikely. 'I don't think we're going to disturb Ms. Owens,' Aidala quipped Thursday, noting that she had just given birth and there wasn't anything 'so gripping' to justify her appearance on the stand. The high-stakes retrial—centered on new and existing sexual assault allegations—began April 23 and is moving toward a conclusion. Weinstein is facing criminal sexual and rape charges linked to allegations by three women: Miriam Haley, a former Project Runway production assistant, who says Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006. Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress, who alleges he raped her in a Manhattan hotel in 2013. Kaja Sokola, whose claim—Weinstein allegedly performed oral sex on her without consent in 2006—is a new charge in this retrial. All three accusers have testified, and the prosecution rested their case Wednesday. Weinstein, notably present in court throughout, has reportedly been closely analyzing how the trial is unfolding. 'He thinks that the evidence at this trial has been challenged very forcefully,' Aidala said. 'Many of the complainant stories have been torn apart.' On Wednesday and Thursday, the defense began calling their own witnesses—including a doctor and pharmacist who testified about Weinstein's erectile dysfunction, a key point raised during the women's testimony. On Thursday, the courtroom heard from Helga Rose Samuelson, a former roommate of Sokola, who contradicted parts of Sokola's account by saying Weinstein had visited their shared apartment and entered a bedroom with her—a claim Sokola denied during her testimony. Things got more complicated earlier this week when Aidala referenced a conversation allegedly between Mann and Owens, suggesting Mann didn't initially categorize the encounter with Weinstein as rape. That line of questioning was ultimately struck from the record, with the judge telling jurors to disregard it as having 'no factual basis.' As for star feminist attorney Gloria Allred, who represents Haley, Aidala's team did issue a subpoena but admitted they hadn't gone to great lengths to enforce it. Looking ahead, two more witnesses are expected to take the stand Friday to challenge Mann's credibility. If Weinstein himself opts not to testify, closing arguments could begin as early as Tuesday, setting the stage for the jury to begin deliberations on one of Hollywood's most infamous cases. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Mint
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Harvey Weinsteins sexual assault case moves toward conclusion as key testimony looms
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)
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Harvey Weinstein weighs whether to testify in sex crimes retrial
His lawyers have spent last weekend and recent evenings talking through the pros and cons with him, and the discussions were ongoing Thursday evening AP New York After five weeks of testimony from Harvey Weinstein's accusers and other prosecution witnesses at his sex crimes retrial, his defence has started presenting its own witnesses. But it's unclear whether the ex-studio boss himself will be one of them. Weinstein is due to decide in the coming days whether to testify. His lawyers have spent last weekend and recent evenings talking through the pros and cons with him, and the discussions were ongoing Thursday evening. There's no easy answer, attorney Arthur Aidala said outside court. If Weinstein does take the stand, it would be a remarkable twist -- and a potentially risky legal move -- in the yearslong saga of the onetime Hollywood honcho-turned-#MeToo outcast. Weinstein, 73, is being retried on rape and sexual assault charges because New York's highest court overturned his 2020 conviction. He denies the allegations, and his attorneys maintain that anything that happened between him and his accusers was consensual. Weinstein didn't testify at his first trial, nor at a separate rape trial in Los Angeles, where he was convicted and has appealed the verdict. Many defendants in US criminal cases don't take the stand: The Constitution guarantees that they don't have to, and jurors are told they can't hold such silence against the accused. Plus, testifying opens a defendant up to pointed questioning from the prosecutors. Weinstein has been watching the New York retrial intently from the defence table, sometimes shaking his head at accusers' testimony and often leaning over to one or another of his attorneys to convey his thoughts. He thinks that the evidence in this trial has been challenged very forcefully and that many of the complainants' stories have been torn apart," Aidala said on Thursday. But there is a part of him that is seriously contemplating whether -- in a he-said, she-said case -- human beings feel obligated to hear the other side of the story", the attorney added. Weinstein's lawyers began calling witnesses late Wednesday, starting with a physician-pharmacist discussing a medication that had come up in testimony. Jurors on Thursday heard from Helga Samuelsen, who shared a New York apartment in fall 2005 with Kaja Sokola, one of Weinstein's accusers. Sokola alleges that Weinstein forced oral sex on her the following year, after a series of unwanted advances that began when she was a 16-year-old fashion model in 2002. Sokola told jurors weeks ago that she never spent time with Weinstein in the apartment where she and Samuelsen stayed. But Samuelsen testified on Thursday that one evening the doorbell rang, Sokola answered it and there was Weinstein. Samuelsen recalled that he and Sokola went into a bedroom, closed the door and emerged about a half-hour later, when Sokola saw Weinstein out. Samuelsen said she never spoke to Sokola about the visit. I think I kind of chose to not, really, said Samuelsen, who was then a photographer's assistant. Having met Weinstein briefly in summer 2005, she later sought his help as she tried to launch a music career. He made some introductions and invited her to write a never-used movie score, Samuelsen said, and she formed a New York-area cabaret act around 2019 with a woman close to him. Samuelsen now works in insurance in her native Denmark. During the prosecution's phase of the trial, Weinstein's lawyers asked plenty of questions aimed at raising doubts about the credibility and accuracy of what the jurors were hearing from the prosecution witnesses, particularly Weinstein's three accusers in the case: Sokola, Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann. All three women were trying to build careers in show business and say he preyed on them by dangling work prospects. Mann alleges he raped her in 2013. Haley, like Sokola, accuses Weinstein of forcibly performing oral sex on her in 2006. The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted, but Sokola, Mann and Haley have given their permission to be identified. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein still deciding whether he'll testify in NYC sex assault retrial
Harvey Weinstein is still on the fence about whether he'll take the stand in his own defense in his Manhattan sex assault retrial, his lawyer said Thursday. As Weinstein's Manhattan Supreme Court trial inches to a close, the former Hollywood producer will have to make his decision before the defense rests its case in the coming days. 'It's usually, but not always, the most difficult defense decision to make,' defense lawyer Arthur Aidala said. 'We're gonna make a game time, more or less, decision.' Aidala said the defense team spent the Memorial Day weekend with Weinstein, who's being held in Bellevue Hospital, to discuss whether he'll testify. 'He thinks that the evidence at this trial has been challenged very forcefully and many of [the accusers'] stories have been torn apart,' Aidala said. Still, he said, 'There is a part of him that is seriously contemplating whether in a he-said-she-said case, human beings feel obligated to hear the other side of the story. … There's no easy answer.' The trial has featured testimony from three accusers — one-time actress Jessica Mann, former TV production assistant Miriam Haley, and Polish model and aspiring actress Kaja Sokola. Mann and Haley testified at Weinstein's 2020 Manhattan Supreme Court trial, which ended in a guilty verdict and a 23-year prison term. The state's highest court overturned the jury's guilty verdict in that case last year, ruling 4-3 that the trial court judge shouldn't have allowed testimony of 'uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes.' On Thursday, the defense called Helga Samuelsen, who was Sokola's roommate in fall 2005. Sokola testified that when she was a 16-year-old model, Weinstein rubbed her vagina under her pants and underwear in 2002, and two years later, he grabbed her breast in a limo. In 2006, she alleged, he forcibly performed oral sex on her in the Tribeca Grand hotel, while her sister waited at a restaurant table downstairs. Samuelsen testified that Weinstein visited Sokola's apartment in 2005, and Sokola led her to a bedroom, where they stayed behind closed doors for about a half-hour. Prosecutors tried to cast doubt on Samuelsen's credibility, pointing out that she sent a text to Sokola saying she felt 'forced' to sign an affidavit for the defense, and bringing up her connections and friendships in Weinstein's circle. With News Wire Services
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein 'Seriously Contemplating' Testifying In Trial on Rape and Sexual Charges
Harvey Weinstein's defense team is still deliberating whether to put their client on the stand as his trial on rape and criminal sexual charges winds down. 'We're going to make a game time, more or less, decision,' Arthur Aidala, Weinstein's attorney, told reporters outside of the courtroom Thursday. More from The Hollywood Reporter Harvey Weinstein Survivors Speak Out to Support Three Women Testifying Against Him In New Trial Harvey Weinstein Claims Innocence on Candace Owens' Show: "Women Should Be Heard, But I'm Wrongfully Convicted" Harvey Weinstein Accuser Jessica Mann Testifies in Court, Says He Was "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" Weinstein did not testify as part of his 2020 trial in New York, nor did he testify in his California case on sexual assault. Aidala noted that the decision to testify is ultimately up to the client, and that one of his partners had spent the majority of Memorial Day weekend prepping Weinstein for possibly taking the stand. 'There is a part of him that is seriously contemplating in a 'he-said, she-said' case whether human beings feel obligated to hear the other side of the story,' Aidala said. This comes after Weinstein gave an interview to conservative podcaster Candace Owens, in which he proclaimed his innocence, which was released last week. Asked how Weinstein is viewing how the trial is proceeding so far, Aidala said: 'He thinks that the evidence at this trial has been challenged very forcefully and that many of the complainant stories have been torn apart.' Weinstein has been present throughout the trial, which kicked off with opening arguments on April 23. The former mogul is being retried on a criminal sexual charge and a rape charge related to respective claims from former production assistant on Project Runway, Miriam Haley, who alleges he forced oral sex on her at his Manhattan apartment in 2006, and from aspiring actress Jessica Mann, who alleges she was raped by Weinstein in 2013 in a Manhattan hotel. Those charges were part of the 2020 trial, but Weinstein's conviction was overturned in April 2024. Weinstein is being newly charged with a criminal sexual charge related to claims from a third woman, Kaja Sokola, who says he forcibly performed oral sex on her in a Manhattan hotel in 2006. All three women have taken the stand over the past several weeks, and prosecution rested their case Wednesday. Weinstein's defense team began calling witnesses late Wednesday, and brought in a physician and pharmacist to the stand to describe an erectile dysfunction medication that had come up in testimony as the complaining witnesses described encounters with Weinstein. On Thursday, the defense team brought in Helga Rose Samuelson, who had shared an apartment with Sokola in 2005, to question the nature of the relationship between Weinstein and Sokola, with Samuelson saying that Weinstein had visited their apartment and gone into a bedroom with Sokola. Sokola denied this encounter happening when she was on the stand. At one point this week, the defense team raised the possibility of bringing in Owens as a witness, alleging that she had communications with Mann regarding whether she had viewed the encounter with Weinstein as rape. Aidala has asked Mann about this conversation in cross-examination, implying that she had said she did not consider it rape, but it was later stricken from the record and jurors received instructions to disregard the questioning as it was 'without factual basis.' Before the jury was read that stipulation, Aidala told Judge Curtis Farber that Weinstein wanted to know whether Owens could still be called as a witness, to which Farber said he would have to be notified. However, Aidala said Thursday that they did not expect to call her as a witness, as she had just had a child and he was 'not sure there's anything that's so gripping.' 'I don't think we're going to disturb Ms. Owens,' Aidala said. Instead, the defense team plans to call two witnesses Friday who will be used to question Mann's credibility. Aidala's team has also issued subpoenas for attorney Gloria Allred, who is Haley's personal attorney, but he noted they 'have not gone to great lengths to enforce the subpoena.' If Weinstein does not testify, closing arguments are expected to take place Tuesday. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
