The first woman to testify in Harvey Weinstein`s Los Angeles trial broke down in tears, crying and respiratory uncontrollably as she confronted the jury to element her sexual assault allegations in opposition to the former Hollywood producer and already-convicted rapist. The witness, referred to as Jane Doe #1, was the first to be known as by the prosecution. The woman is a overseas actress, whose first language isn’t English. She speaks Russian, Italian and English, although her translator accompanied her in the courtroom and was utilised throughout her testimony, reviews `Variety`.
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The woman claims she was assaulted by Weinstein in February 2013 at the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival throughout Oscars weekend, when he allegedly confirmed up unannounced to her lodge room in the center of the evening and compelled his method in — after which onto her. At the time of the alleged incident, Weinstein had solely met Jane Doe #1 in passing at a few trade occasions. The two had barely spoken to one another, aside from an introduction, she testified. The woman was visiting L.A. for a enterprise journey to the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival as a result of she was invited as a visitor of the pageant`s founder. As a well-liked actress in Italy, Jane Doe #1 was required to stroll crimson carpets at the pageant, occupy VIP sections of the theatre and attend unique trade dinner events.
According to the woman, Weinstein all of a sudden confirmed up to her lodge, Mr. C Beverly Hills, after the actress returned to her lodge room previous midnight one night. She says she had not knowledgeable him of the place she was staying, not to mention engaged in a lot dialog with him in any respect, so she was confused as to how he knew her whereabouts and why he was there. After returning to her lodge and dressing in a gown to prepare for mattress, the lodge foyer known as her room to say she had a visitor. “I said I didn`t expect any guest,” Jane Doe #1 recalled to the jury. The lodge workers knowledgeable her it was Weinstein downstairs.
“I was confused… I didn`t understand what he was doing in the hotel.” She informed the lodge workers that she might come downstairs, however Weinstein refused that provide. The subsequent factor she knew, he was knocking on her door and loudly saying himself. He stated, “I want to talk to you.” Through tears, she informed jurors that she opened the door in order that he would cease knocking as a result of the noise was so loud; she was embarrassed that lodge company would possibly hear the commotion. “He just walked in,” she stated. “I was really confused. I didn`t understand what was going on… I remember thinking, `Did he follow me?` I don`t know him.” The woman alleges that Weinstein pressured himself into the lodge room and sat subsequent to her on the mattress. He took off his jacket and requested her to give him a therapeutic massage.
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“I asked him to go,” she stated, saying that Weinstein didn`t hear and as a substitute moved nearer to her. When he got here to the mattress, he turned a special individual,” she testified. “I began to be extra direct and ask him to go away.” In an effort to get Weinstein to leave, she had told him that she was a mother of three and showed him photos of her children on her phone. She recalled asking him to leave repeatedly, explaining that nothing was going to happen and that she wasn`t sure why he was under the impression that she was interested in any romantic or physical interaction with him, especially since they didn`t know each other.
At one point, he allegedly told her she was “stunning,” commenting on her breasts by stating that they were too big for her to be a successful actress. When he made that comment, she asked him to leave again. “He turned extra bodily,” she said when asked by prosecutor, deputy D.A. Paul Thompson, how Weinstein`s behaviour changed, sharing that he tried to hold her hand and take off her robe. “He opened his pants, he (held) my hand and he was touching himself,” she said, adding that she tried to stand up. “I used to be panicking and began crying… He stated, `It`s okay. Like, c`mon.` He didn`t care.” Jane Doe #1 then alleged that Weinstein took off his pants.
She says Weinstein, only wearing his shirt, grabbed her hair and pulled her head towards his “non-public half.” She continued, “He pressured me to do what he requested… I used to be crying, choking.” Jane Doe #1`s testimony got here after opening statements from the prosecution and defence. in their opening assertion, Weinstein`s authorized group informed the jury that, whereas Jane Doe #1 is claiming she was assaulted by Weinstein, she attended a celebration thrown by the Weinstein Company years after the alleged incident and proudly posted a photograph from the crimson carpet onto her personal social media.
