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Weinstein Trial: ‘I’m Being Raped,’ ‘Project Runway’ Assistant Recalls Weinstein Trial: ‘I’m Being Raped,’ Recalls ‘Project Runway’ Assistant
(about 1 hour later)
It started shortly after they went to his apartment. There, she told a jury, alone with him in his huge Manhattan loft, her boss, Harvey Weinstein, lunged at her on a sofa. It started after they went to his apartment. There, she told a jury, alone with him in his Manhattan loft, her boss, Harvey Weinstein, lunged at her on a sofa.
They got into a tug-of-war, she said — he was pulling at her and she was trying to push him away. It ended in the bedroom where, she added, she attempted to deflect him by anxiously announcing that she was on her period.They got into a tug-of-war, she said — he was pulling at her and she was trying to push him away. It ended in the bedroom where, she added, she attempted to deflect him by anxiously announcing that she was on her period.
But that did not deter him, Mimi Haleyi testified on Monday at Mr. Weinstein’s rape trial. Instead, she said, he pushed her onto a bed, held her down and forcibly performed oral sex on her. But that did not deter him, Miriam Haleyi testified on Monday at Mr. Weinstein’s rape trial. Instead, she said, he pushed her onto a bed, held her down and forcibly performed oral sex on her.
“I’m being raped,” Ms. Haleyi recalled thinking, adding moments later: “I was in so much shock at the time that I just checked out.” “I’m being raped,” Ms. Haleyi recalled thinking. She added, “I was in so much shock at the time that I just checked out.”
In recounting the alleged assault — which purportedly took place in July 2006 — Ms. Haleyi, whose legal given name is Miriam, became the second accuser to take the stand against Mr. Weinstein at his long-awaited trial in Lower Manhattan. In recounting the alleged assault in July 2006, Ms. Haleyi became the second accuser to take the stand against Mr. Weinstein at the trial in Lower Manhattan.
Last week, the actress Annabella Sciorra, best known for her role in “The Sopranos,” told the jury that the producer shoved his way into her own apartment in New York and raped her in the winter months of 1993 or 1994.Last week, the actress Annabella Sciorra, best known for her role in “The Sopranos,” told the jury that the producer shoved his way into her own apartment in New York and raped her in the winter months of 1993 or 1994.
In all, six women are testifying against Mr. Weinstein at the trial, which is widely seen as a watershed moment in the #MeToo movement. Mr. Weinstein has been charged with one count of criminal sexual act and predatory sexual assault involving Ms. Haleyi. He is accused of a total of five felony counts, including rape and predatory sexual assault, and faces life in prison if the jury of seven men and five women convict him of the last charge. In all, six women are testifying against Mr. Weinstein at the trial, which is widely seen as a watershed moment in the #MeToo movement. Mr. Weinstein has not been charged with raping Ms. Haleyi, but instead faces counts of criminal sexual act and predatory sexual assault.
The trial so far has delved into the thorny issues of consent and sexual dynamics in the film industry. Prosecutors have described how Mr. Weinstein, 67, used his power in the industry and his imposing physicality to coerce women in his orbit into sexual encounters, often grooming them before attacks with inappropriate comments and gestures. He is accused of a total of five felony counts, including rape and predatory sexual assault, for his alleged behavior toward another woman, Jessica Mann, in 2013. He could get life in prison if convicted of the last charge.
The criminal charges against Mr. Weinstein are based only on the allegations of Ms. Haleyi and another woman, Jessica Mann, who has accused the producer of raping her in 2013. The judge is allowing the other four women to testify to establish a pattern of behavior, even though most of their allegations are too old to prosecute as crimes under state law. The trial has delved into the thorny issues of consent and sexual dynamics in the film industry. Prosecutors have described how Mr. Weinstein, 67, used his power and imposing physicality to coerce women into sexual encounters.
The criminal charges are based solely on allegations from Ms. Haleyi, who previously went by Mimi, and Ms. Mann. The judge is allowing the four other women to testify to establish a pattern of behavior, even though most of their allegations are too old to prosecute.
Mr. Weinstein’s lawyers maintain that the producer’s relationships with Ms. Haleyi, now 42, and the other women were consensual. The lawyers said she continued to see Mr. Weinstein long after the alleged attack and had bragged to her friends about her friendship with him.Mr. Weinstein’s lawyers maintain that the producer’s relationships with Ms. Haleyi, now 42, and the other women were consensual. The lawyers said she continued to see Mr. Weinstein long after the alleged attack and had bragged to her friends about her friendship with him.
“It is not going to be this predator-prey dynamic the state so badly wants you to believe,” Damon Cheronis, one of Mr. Weinstein’s lawyers, said during his opening statement. “It is not going to be this predator-prey dynamic the state so badly wants you to believe,” Damon Cheronis, one of Mr. Weinstein’s lawyers, said during opening statements.
On the witness stand on Monday, Ms. Haleyi testified that she first met Mr. Weinstein at a movie premiere in London for “The Aviator” in 2004. At the time, she was a young production assistant, born in Finland and raised in Sweden. Mr. Weinstein was — and had been for a decade — a Hollywood producer who had reshaped the independent film industry with Oscar-winning films like “Shakespeare in Love” and “Pulp Fiction.” On the witness stand on Monday, Ms. Haleyi testified that years after the alleged assault, she used the last name to Haley to avoid being easily found on Google.
Two years later, when the man she was working for fell ill, Ms. Haleyi found herself in need of a new job. She ran into Mr. Weinstein at the Cannes Film Festival in France, she said, and asked him if there were any opportunities at the Weinstein Company, his production firm in New York City. She first met Mr. Weinstein, she said, at a movie premiere in London in 2004. At the time, she was a young production assistant, raised in Sweden. Mr. Weinstein was a Hollywood producer who had reshaped the independent film industry with Oscar-winning films like “Shakespeare in Love” and “Pulp Fiction.”
They met at his temporary office in the Majestic hotel in Cannes, Ms. Haleyi said, where Mr. Weinstein suggested that she could help him out on one of his new ventures, the reality-television show “Project Runway.” From the start, she testified, the producer tried to sexualize what she believed was a professional relationship. He made remarks about her legs, she said, and asked her to give him a massage. Two years later, Ms. Haleyi found herself in need of a new job. She ran into Mr. Weinstein at the Cannes Film Festival in France, she said, and asked him if there were any opportunities at the Weinstein Company, his production firm in New York.
“I had been so excited to go and see him, and then he had treated me that way,” Ms. Haleyi said. Leaving the hotel, she recalled, she felt “extremely humiliated” and almost instantly broke into tears. They met at the Majestic Hotel in Cannes, Ms. Haleyi said, where Mr. Weinstein suggested that she could help on one of his new ventures, the reality-television show “Project Runway.” From the start, she testified, the producer tried to sexualize what she believed was a professional relationship. He made remarks about her legs, she said, and asked her to give him a massage.
But even though she turned Mr. Weinstein down in France, Ms. Haleyi said, he ultimately got her a position at “Project Runway,” doing menial administrative tasks. While she testified that Mr. Weinstein was sometimes “respectful, even charming” with her, she also said that his sexual advances continued. “I had been so excited to go and see him, and then he had treated me that way,” Ms. Haleyi said. Leaving the hotel, she recalled, she felt “humiliated” and broke into tears.
Once, Ms. Haleyi said, Mr. Weinstein drove her home to her apartment in the East Village and asked if he could come inside and join her. When she told him no, he invited her on the spot to fly with him to Paris on a private jet for a fashion show, she said. But even though she rejected Mr. Weinstein in France, Ms. Haleyi said, he ultimately got her a post at “Project Runway.” While she testified that he was sometimes “respectful, even charming” with her, she also said that his sexual advances continued.
Somewhat later, Ms. Haleyi testified, Mr. Weinstein showed up again at her apartment. This time, he barged in and repeated his request that she go with him to Paris. When he refused to take no for an answer, she said, she finally told him — “to shut it down” — that she had heard he had “a terrible reputation with women.” Ms. Haleyi said he got “defensive” and left. Once, Ms. Haleyi said, Mr. Weinstein drove her to her apartment in the East Village and asked if he could come inside. When she told him no, he invited her to fly with him to Paris for a fashion show, she said.
After all of this, however, Ms. Haleyi accepted another invitation to go with Mr. Weinstein to a film premier in Los Angeles. She said she agreed to the trip because she would be traveling alone and because one of her friends in California was about to give birth to a child. Somewhat later, Ms. Haleyi testified, Mr. Weinstein showed up again at her apartment, barging in and repeating his request that she go with him to Paris. When he refused to accept his invitation, she said, she told him that she had heard he had “a terrible reputation with women.” Ms. Haleyi said he got “defensive” and left.
On July 11, 2006 — the day The Weinstein Company paid for her ticket — Mr. Weinstein invited Ms. Haleyi to visit him at his apartment in SoHo. When she got there, she recalled, everything seemed normal. Mr. Weinstein offered her a drink, she said, and they sat down on his sofa — she on one side, he on the other. The television set was on. After all of this, however, Ms. Haleyi agreed to go with Mr. Weinstein to a film premiere in Los Angeles. She said she did so because she would be traveling alone and because one of her friends in California was about to give birth.
Then, she said, Mr. Weinstein lunged at her and tried to kiss her. On July 11, 2006 — the day he paid for her ticket — Mr. Weinstein invited Ms. Haleyi to visit him at his apartment in Lower Manhattan. When she got there, she recalled, he offered her a drink and they sat on his sofa.
“I pushed him away and he kept kissing and fondling me,” Ms. Haleyi told the jury. “I got up and tried to walk away and he pulled me toward him.” Then, she said, Mr. Weinstein lunged at her.
Mr. Weinstein backed her into a bedroom, she said, where she fell “backward onto the bed.” She recalled seeing children’s drawings on the wall and all the while, she testified, she was telling the producer, “No, no, no, I don’t want this to happen. I’m on my period.” “I pushed him away, and he kept kissing and fondling me,” Ms. Haleyi told the jury. “I got up and tried to walk away, and he pulled me toward him.”
But every time she tried to stand, Ms. Haleyi said, Mr. Weinstein pushed her down, held her by the wrists and lay his weight on top of her. Mr. Weinstein backed her into a bedroom, she said, where she fell “backward onto the bed.” All the while, she testified, she was telling the producer: “I don’t want this to happen. I’m on my period.”
It was then, she told the jury, that Mr. Weinstein pulled the tampon from her body and put his mouth on her vagina. “I was just crying out,” Ms. Haleyi said. “I was telling him, ‘No, no, no, don’t do that.’ It was as if he didn’t believe me.” It was then, she told the jury, that Mr. Weinstein yanked the tampon from her body and put his mouth on her genitals. “I was telling him, ‘No, no, no, don’t do that,’” Ms. Haleyi said. “It was as if he didn’t believe me.”
Afterward, Ms. Haleyi said, she walked alone back to her apartment in the East Village. Afterward, Ms. Haleyi said, she walked alone to her apartment. She never reported the assault to the police.
Mr. Weinstein’s lawyers maintain that Ms. Haleyi and the producer had a consensual relationship for years. He gave her tickets to movie premieres when she asked for them and paid for her to fly to London shortly after the alleged assault. Two weeks later, Ms. Haleyi said, Mr. Weinstein was “persistent” that she meet with him again, and she went to see him at the TriBeCa Grand Hotel. When she entered his room, she said, the producer pulled her toward the bed. Though she was sobbing, Ms. Haleyi said, she had sex with him.
Two months later, when she learned that Mr. Weinstein was in London, she wrote, “I tried to change my flight to get there to see you,” Mr. Cheronis said in his opening statement. “I felt like an idiot and I felt numb,” she said.
A year after the alleged assault, Ms. Haleyi pitched Mr. Weinstein a television show, Mr. Cheronis said. Ms. Haleyi said she later tried to maintain “a professional connection” with Mr. Weinstein. She passed scripts to him from friends, she said, and once, while in London, she pitched him on her own idea for a project.
“Harvey tried to help her, and she sends him a very nice email talking about how he’s always supported her,” Mr. Cheronis said. “That is what really happened.” Mr. Weinstein’s lawyers have argued that Ms. Haleyi and Mr. Weinstein had a consensual relationship for years. He gave her tickets to movie premieres, the lawyers said, and paid for her to fly to London shortly after the alleged second assault.
On cross-examination on Monday, Mr. Cheronis showed the jury emails Ms. Haleyi wrote to the producer that seemed to suggest an amicable relationship.
In an email from June 2008, Ms. Haleyi wrote: “Hi Harvey, how are you? Great to see you.” It ended, “Lots of Love Miriam.”
Mr. Cheronis also questioned Ms. Haleyi on how Mr. Weinstein ended up in her apartment, suggesting that she let him in. He then noted that Ms. Haleyi had allowed the producer to pay for a flight to Los Angeles, so she could accompany him to a movie premiere.
But she ended up not attending the event, and Mr. Cheronis suggested she had used Mr. Weinstein to get to the West Coast to see her pregnant friend.