Lawyers for the defendant are attempting to undermine the credibility of a female complainant.
In the heart of New York City, Harvey Weinstein's defense team grilled Miriam Haley, the first of three accusers, during Weinstein's latest trial. Haley claimed that Weinstein, nearly twenty years ago, held her on a bed and coerced her into performing oral sex in his Manhattan apartment.
Testifying for the third time, Haley faced questions about her decision to go public with her allegations as the #MeToo movement gained traction in October 2017. Defense attorney Jennifer Bonjean fiercely criticized Haley over her initial media statements, forcing her to admit that she hadn't provided a complete picture of her relationship with Weinstein at the time.
Haley denied Bonjean's claims that she made her allegations in the hopes of suing Weinstein, but did acknowledge that she later filed a complaint and settled for around $475,000. Weinstein, 73, pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence, arguing that all of his accusers willingly engaged in sexual relations with him in pursuit of industry opportunities.
Haley testified that she remained in contact with Weinstein for over a year after the alleged assault, even sending him warm emails signed "lots of love." Bonjean noted that when Haley first made her allegations public, she failed to mention the subsequent sexual relationship with Weinstein or the continuation of their contact.
"You only told part of the story, didn’t you?" Bonjean asked.
"I told the relevant part of what I wanted to say," Haley replied.
Bonjean also questioned why Haley waited until June 2018 to report her allegations to the police but held a press conference just days after seeing articles about other women accusing Weinstein.
"Did you try to send a message to Weinstein?" Bonjean asked.
"I wasn’t really thinking about Mr. Weinstein during that press conference," Haley insisted, adding that she spoke out to support other accusers who had also acted in the same way.
Two more alleged victims are expected to testify in Weinstein's trial. Bonjean, who will step down from Weinstein's defense team after completing her cross-examination of Haley, is dealing with another case scheduled for trial in Brooklyn next week.
During Wednesday's testimony, Haley described the 2006 assault as initially appearing as a friendly and professional meeting that Weinstein turned into "the unthinkable." She claimed that he ignored her pleas and felt shocked, disgusted, and humiliated after the incident. She and two friends testified that she quickly confessed to them that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her.
Haley, who has been referred to as Mimi Haleyi in the past, is the first of Weinstein's accusers to testify in his new trial following the overturning of his conviction last year. She resumed her testimony from her first trial in 2020, providing new details. On Wednesday, she noted that Weinstein asked her, "Don’t you think we’re much closer now?" after the alleged assault or another subsequent encounter where she claims she had unwanted but not forced sexual relations with him.
Haley briefly worked as a production assistant on Project Runway, produced by Weinstein, and had various inappropriate and suggestive, yet sometimes professional and polite, interactions with him. Weinstein's new trial includes charges related to Haley and another accuser from the initial trial, Jessica Mann. Mann alleges that Weinstein raped her in 2013. He is also being judged, for the first time, for forcing oral sex on former model Kaja Sokola in 2006. Mann and Sokola are expected to testify as well.
The Associated Press generally does not name individuals who allege they have been sexually assaulted unless they give permission for their name to be used. Haley, Mann, and Sokola have done so.
Additional Insights:- Haley and Weinstein held professional and personal contact for over a year after the alleged assault.- Haley's initial media statements did not provide a complete picture of her relationship with Weinstein.- Haley continued sending warm emails to Weinstein and accepted his invitations, including a post-assault encounter at a Manhattan hotel.- Defense lawyers highlight the ongoing contact to undermine Haley's assault claims, while Haley insists she felt compelled to maintain ties for professional reasons.
- Haley, one of Weinstein's accusers, testified during his trial that she later filed a complaint and settled for around $475,000 after initially making her allegations public.
- Weinstein's defense attorney, Bonjean, criticized Haley over her initial media statements, forcing her to admit that she hadn't provided a complete picture of her relationship with Weinstein at the time.
- In the entertainment industry's general-news and crime-and-justice sections, stories about Weinstein's trial have been commonplace as celebrities like Haley testify against him.
- When questioned by Bonjean, Haley admitted to maintaining contact with Weinstein after the alleged assault, including sending him warm emails and accepting his invitations.
- Bonjean questioned Haley's motives for reporting her allegations to the police in June 2018, suggesting that she may have been trying to send a message to Weinstein during her press conference in October 2017.
