Latest news with #ex-Miramax
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein's lawyers argue the alleged perv is the real victim during erratic closing arguments: ‘He's the one who's being abused'
Disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein is the 'poster boy' of cancel culture, his defense attorney ranted during erratic closing arguments, insisting the convicted sex pest is the real victim of the women accusing him of rape. 'They're using their youth, their beauty, their charm, their charisma to get stuff from him,' defense attorney Arthur Aidala said Tuesday of the three women who testified against the once-powerful Hollywood kingpin during his ongoing sex-crimes retrial in Manhattan Superior Court. 'I know it's going to sound crazy, but he's the one who's being abused. He's the one who's getting used.' During the three-hour speech to jurors, Aidala portrayed the relationships between Weinstein and his three accusers — fromer TV production assistant Miriam 'Mimi' Haley, Polish model Kaja Sokola and former actress Jessica Mann — as 'transactional' sexual relationships that were consensual. He claimed the victims are women with broken dreams 'who wanted to cut the line' to stardom. The attorney's animated theatrics balanced a tightrope of absurdity — from mockingly impersonating one of the women to entering the witness stand to discus his own sex life, with his wife in attendance — in an effort to dissuade jurors from reconvicting the one-time movie mogul. 'They needed to get the poster boy, the original sinner for the MeToo movement,' Aidala said, referring to prosecutor's decision for a retrial. 'They tried to do it five years ago, and there was a redo, and they're trying to do it again.' At one point, Aidala took shots at Weinstein's physical appearance, calling the hulking wheelchair-bound ex-Miramax boss a 'fat dude' incapable of 'playing naked Twister' – a hyperbole to how witnesses have described the 'Pulp Fiction' producer's sinister demeanor during the alleged attacks. 'Some of these descriptions from these women sound like 'Cirque du Soleil'!' Aidala charged. The former studio chief's attorney even posed a hypothetical scenario to jurors about a broken shard of glass falling into his own Grandma's 'Sunday Sauce' — likening it to the prosecution's case and the accusers and whether his grandma would still serve the pasta knowing the risk. 'If there's a doubt about his life, their case — you've got to throw it out, you've got to throw it out,' he said. Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg fiercely challenged Aidala's spirited remarks, telling the jury that Weinstein — accused of sexual conduct by more than 80 women — wielded his 'power and influence' to trap his victims. 'This was not a courting game as Mr. Aidala wants you to believe,' Blumberg charged at the jury. 'This is not a transaction. This is not people the defendant was fooling around with unless fooling around with is a euphemism for rape… it wasn't about fooling around — it was rape.' Blumberg later argued: 'He never had an interest in their careers. He had an interest in their bodies,' where no meant 'try a little bit harder' until he eventually 'took it anyway.' Weinstein, 73, who has maintained his innocence, faces up to 25 years in prison on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual act, and four years in prison on a charge of third-degree rape. He was originally convicted at trial in 2022, but New York's highest court reversed the conviction last year. Weinstein was separately convicted of rape in California after an Italian model testified that he threw himself on her after appearing uninvited outside her hotel room during an Italian film festival in 2013. The convicted sex fiend was sentenced to 16 years in prison in that case but is appealing. The prosecution will continue with closing arguments Wednesday morning.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Harvey Weinstein's lawyers argue the alleged perv is the real victim during erratic closing arguments: ‘He's the one who's being abused'
Disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein is the 'poster boy' of cancel culture, his defense attorney ranted during erratic closing arguments, insisting the convicted sex pest is the real victim of the women accusing him of rape. 'They're using their youth, their beauty, their charm, their charisma to get stuff from him,' defense attorney Arthur Aidala said Tuesday of the three women who testified against the once-powerful Hollywood kingpin during his ongoing sex-crimes retrial in Manhattan Superior Court. 'I know it's going to sound crazy, but he's the one who's being abused. He's the one who's getting used.' 5 Harvey Weinstein at his retrial in Manhattan Superior Court. Steven Hirsch During the three-hour speech to jurors, Aidala portrayed the relationships between Weinstein and his three accusers — fromer TV production assistant Miriam 'Mimi' Haley, Polish model Kaja Sokola and former actress Jessica Mann — as 'transactional' sexual relationships that were consensual. He claimed the victims are women with broken dreams 'who wanted to cut the line' to stardom. The attorney's animated theatrics balanced a tightrope of absurdity — from mockingly impersonating one of the women to entering the witness stand to discus his own sex life, with his wife in attendance — in an effort to dissuade jurors from reconvicting the one-time movie mogul. 5 Harvey Weinstein's retrial in a New York courtroom. Steven Hirsch 'They needed to get the poster boy, the original sinner for the MeToo movement,' Aidala said, referring to prosecutor's decision for a retrial. 'They tried to do it five years ago, and there was a redo, and they're trying to do it again.' At one point, Aidala took shots at Weinstein's physical appearance, calling the hulking wheelchair-bound ex-Miramax boss a 'fat dude' incapable of 'playing naked Twister' – a hyperbole to how witnesses have described the 'Pulp Fiction' producer's sinister demeanor during the alleged attacks. 'Some of these descriptions from these women sound like 'Cirque du Soleil'!' Aidala charged The former studio chief's attorney even posed a hypothetical scenario to jurors about a broken shard of glass falling into his own Grandma's 'Sunday Sauce' — likening it to the prosecution's case and the accusers and whether his grandma would still serve the pasta knowing the risk. 5 Kaja Sokola testified against the disgraced movie producer during his high-profile Manhattan trial. Steven Hirsch 'If there's a doubt about his life, their case — you've got to throw it out, you've got to throw it out,' he said. Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg fiercely challenged Aidala's spirited remarks, telling the jury that Weinstein — accused of sexual conduct by more than 80 women — wielded his 'power and influence' to trap his victims. 5 Miriam 'Mimi' Haley, former production assistant on 'Project Runway,' also testified in court. Steven Hirsch 'This was not a courting game as Mr. Aidala wants you to believe,' Blumberg charged at the jury. 'This is not a transaction. This is not people the defendant was fooling around with unless fooling around with is a euphemism for rape… it wasn't about fooling around — it was rape.' Blumberg later argued: 'He never had an interest in their careers. He had an interest in their bodies,' where no meant 'try a little bit harder' until he eventually 'took it anyway.' 5 Witness Jessica Mann leaving court, accompanied by others. Steven Hirsch Weinstein, 73, who has maintained his innocence, faces up to 25 years in prison on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual act, and four years in prison on a charge of third-degree rape. He was originally convicted at trial in 2022, but New York's highest court reversed the conviction last year. Weinstein was separately convicted of rape in California after an Italian model testified that he threw himself on her after appearing uninvited outside her hotel room during an Italian film festival in 2013. The convicted sex fiend was sentenced to 16 years in prison in that case but is appealing. The prosecution will continue with closing arguments Wednesday morning.
New York Post
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Weinstein accuser Miriam Haley storms out of courtroom in tears: ‘Don't tell me I wasn't raped by that f–king a–hole!'
A Harvey Weinstein accuser stormed out of a Manhattan courtroom in tears during a grilling by the fallen movie mogul's lawyer Friday, forcing a judge to pause his sex crimes retrial for ten minutes. Miriam 'Mimi' Haley – during her fourth day on the witness stand – was only roughly 30 minutes into testimony Friday morning when aggressive questioning by the ex-Miramax honcho's lawyer Jennifer Bonjean turned sour. Bonjean had been asking Haley about what she was wearing when Weinstein allegedly raped her at a the TriBeCa Grand Hotel on July 10, 2006, and whether she took her clothes off or if he removed them from her. 'I didn't take my clothes off,' Haley said. 'He was the one who raped me, not the other way around.' 'That's for the jury to decide,' Bonjean snapped back. 'No, it's not for the jury to decide when it's my experience and he did that to me,' Haley said during the escalating exchange. 'Don't tell me I wasn't raped by that f–king a–hole!' Haley said, breaking into tears. Haley – a former 'Project Runway' production assistant – then briskly walked out of the courtroom, wiping tears from her eyes and so flustered that she almost ran into the defense table where Weinstein was sitting. Judge Michael Farber then called a short break so that Haley could compose herself. Haley, 48, also testified against Weinstein, 73, in 2020 painting a very similar picture to what she has described so far during her second stint on the stand. Weinstein was convicted in that case, and was sentenced to 23 years behind bars. But that conviction was overturned last year. Weinstein – who has maintained his innocence – faces up to 25 years if convicted on the top count.
