Weinstein had ‘psychological hold’ on victims, prosecution tells rape retrial
Disgraced ex-Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s retrial begins today after his landmark 2020 rape conviction in New York was overturned
He is being re-tried on charges of rape and sexual assault, for which he was found guilty and sentenced to 23 years in prison back in 2020. He has pleaded not guilty
But the state’s court of appeals found he did not get a fair trial because women who were allegedly abused by Weinstein were allowed to testify against him despite not being a part of the charges
Weinstein also faces a new charge of allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in a Manhattan hotel in 2006. He denies any wrongdoing
Weinstein is behind bars on a separate conviction for raping an Italian model and actress in a Beverly Hills hotel in 2013
Both sides have finished their opening statements, which lasted roughly two hours …Aidala is continuing to try to cast doubt on the women’s claims because they stayed in contact with Weinstein after the alleged assaults.
He claims Jessica Mann did not tell her agent and her friend who were waiting downstairs minutes later that Weinstein allegedly raped her.
“There was chemistry between Jessica and Harvey,” Aidala says.
The women, he argues, were after money and wanted to use Weinstein for his fame and power.
“These women are addicted to that fame,” Aidala says. “They want to be heroes.”
Weinstein’s defence attorney has just pointed out lawyer Gloria Allred, who is sitting in the public space in the courtroom.
Allred is a prominent women’s rights attorney. She’s represented several women who were victims of Harvey Weinstein.
She was the lawyer for Miriam Haley, a former production assistant, in the trial that saw Weinstein’s now-overturned conviction in 2020. Haley is one of the accusers again in this trial.
She also represented victims during the Los Angeles trial.
Allred is currently representing claimants in the UK case against former Harrods boss Mohammed al-Fayed, and previously represented victims in the case of singer R Kelly. .
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R Kelly#