Weinstein sex crimes trial set to open in New York
NEW YORK: Harvey Weinstein’s high-profile sex crimes trial opens today, more than two years after a slew of allegations against the once-mighty Hollywood producer triggered the #MeToo movement that led to the downfall of dozens of powerful men.
The disgraced movie mogul faces life in prison if convicted in a New York state court of predatory sexual assault charges, in a trial expected to last six weeks.
Almost 90 women, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused the 67year-old of sexual misconduct since
The New York Times detailed claims against him in October 2017. But Weinstein, once one of Hollywood’s most influential people, is being tried on charges related to just two women, highlighting the difficulty of building cases around incidents that took place years ago.
Former production assistant Mimi Haleyi alleges that the ‘Pulp Fiction’ producer forcibly performed oral sex on her in his New York apartment in July 2006.
The second alleged victim is anonymous. She says Weinstein, the co-founder of Miramax Films, raped her in a New York hotel room in March 2013.
‘The Sopranos’ actress Annabella Sciorra will also give evidence as the prosecution seeks to convince the jury that Weinstein engaged in a pattern of predatory sexual behavior.
A conviction would signal a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement in the fight against sexual harassment and abuse of power in Hollywood and beyond.
“This trial is critical to show that predators everywhere will be held accountable and that speaking up can bring about real change,” 25 of Weinstein’s accusers said in a statement Friday.
Seven of them, including actresses Rose McGowan and Rosanna Arquette, are due to hold a press conference outside court at 10am (1500 GMT) today, 30 minutes after the hearing is scheduled to begin.
Since the #MeToo movement took hold in the wake of a deluge of allegations against Weinstein, almost all men felled from their positions, be it in the world of entertainment or business, have escaped prosecution.
The only other trial on the horizon is that of R&B singer R Kelly, who was charged last year with several assaults on young women, but allegations of sexual impropriety have dogged him for years.
American comedian Bill Cosby was sentenced to at least three years in prison in September 2018, although proceedings had started in late 2015, two years before the post-Weinstein surge of allegations.