Lawyers for Harvey Weinstein aim to challenge Miriam Haley's account, intensely questioning her during the trial process.
Fresh Take
In a heated courtroom showdown, Harvey Weinstein's legal team, armed with a formidable defender known for representing high-profile accused predators, took aim at the testimony of a former assistant who accuses the disgraced producer of sexual assault.
Jennifer Bonjean, a tough-talking attorney with a history of defending heavyweights like Bill Cosby and R. Kelly, took on Miriam Haley last Thursday. With an emphasis on Haley's jet-setting lifestyle, Bonjean sought to uncover discrepancies in Haley's account.
During hours of grilling, Bonjean managed to get Haley to concede that she hadn't given a complete picture of her complex relationship with Weinstein after initially accusing him of sexual assault in 2006. Furthermore, Haley conceded that she hadn't discussed friendly email exchanges with Weinstein after the alleged incidents.
A crucial point of contention in Haley's testimony was her menstrual cycle during the 2006 alleged assault. Bonjean zeroed in on this detail when Haley couldn't recall the exact date of her period in 2006. Despite checking her calendar, which sometimes marked her period with a "P," Haley couldn't pinpoint the exact month.
The defense team focused on this detail the following day, after Haley had testified in graphic detail about Weinstein's persistence despite her saying she was on her period during the first assault. Haley is expected to face more questions from Bonjean when the trial resumes on Friday.
Weinstein is once again in the dock after New York's Court of Appeals overturned his landmark 2020 conviction for sexually abusing women in 2024, a ruling that kicked off the #MeToo movement and transformed Weinstein into a pariah.
On trial now is one count of engaging in a criminal sex act in connection with Haley's accusations that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in June 2006 and one count of third-degree rape for allegations made by actress Jessica Mann in 2013. Both women will testify in Weinstein's retrial, along with new accuser Kaja Sokola.
Sokola, who has claimed that she was 16 when Weinstein performed oral sex on her without her consent in 2006, is also expected to testify at Weinstein's retrial. Weinstein, 73, has denied all allegations against him.
The prosecution contends that Weinstein leveraged his Hollywood power to exploit young women looking for a break in the TV and film industry. Haley, who has largely reiterated her original testimony, has admitted that she contacted Weinstein because she wanted his help in finding a job. She also admits to not reporting the assaults to the police immediately and fearing professional repercussions.
However, under Bonjean's questioning, Haley admitted that Weinstein wasn't the first producer she approached for job assistance. Haley recounted her previous work for British producer Michael White, which granted her access to numerous A-list celebrities like Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and Jack Nicholson.
Meanwhile, Weinstein's lead attorney, Arthur Aidala, has maintained that the encounters were transactional and consensual from the start.
Insights
- Harvey Weinstein is currently on trial for allegations of sexual assault made by multiple women, including actresses Jessica Mann and Miriam Haley, and former model Kaja Sokola.
- Weinstein's legal team is employing aggressive defense tactics, as demonstrated by Jennifer Bonjean's questioning of Miriam Haley.
- The retrial is focused on a narrower set of allegations, following an overturned conviction which ruled out additional testimony of misconduct that was not directly related to the charges.
- Jennifer Bonjean, a defense attorney with a history of representing high-profile figures, is working on Harvey Weinstein's case.
- Bonjean's focus in the trial is defining discrepancies in the testimony of Miriam Haley, a former assistant who accused Weinstein of sexual assault.
- Bonjean's strategies include highlighting entertainment celebrities and Haley's jet-setting lifestyle to cast doubt on her initial accusations.
- Allegations of policy-and-legislation and politics are at play in the trial, as Weinstein is accused of using his influence to exploit women seeking jobs in the TV and film industry.
- Bonjean's line of questioning led Haley to admit that she hadn't discussed friendly email exchanges with Weinstein after the alleged incidents.
- In a broader context, Weinstein's trial represents general news and crime-and-justice issues, serving as a landmark case in the ongoing conversation about sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry.
