A former Project Runway production assistant named Miriam Haley testified about Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulting her. Weinstein's trial for sexual assault got underway in New York last week. The embattled mogul is still facing charges for sex crimes he allegedly committed in Los Angeles.
Weinstein's legal troubles began in a large scale back in October 2017, when both the New York Times and The New Yorker released stories about more than a dozen women alleging sexual assaults and/or propositions by the movie mogul. As the months progressed, more and more women came forward, recounting their alleged attacks, uncomfortable propositions, and various cover-ups of his misdeeds. Weinstein was made to pay victims a $44 million settlement in May 2019. By August 2019, he had been indicted for charges which included two counts of rape and one count of forcible oral sex. However, he's been accused of assaulting more than 80 women. Another woman, Jessica Mann, is also part of the current court case against Weinstein where she alleges he raped her in 2013.
According to NBC, Haley's recollection of the attack, she recounted "I tried to reject him, but he insisted." She continued, "Every time I tried to get off the bed, he pushed me back and held me down." Haley alleges that the assaults took place back in 2006 - once in her apartment bedroom, and again in a Manhattan hotel room. Despite her verbal pleas to get him to stop, even going so far as to tell Weinstein she was on her period, he persisted.
Haley's former roommate Elizabeth Entin also took the stand to recount her advice to Haley that she contact a lawyer about the assault after hearing her friend describe how Weinstein exposed himself to her and attacked her despite hearing that she was menstruating. The horrific personal details of Miriam Haley's alleged attack by Harvey Weinstein are harrowing. According to her, Weinstein was undaunted by her pleas or even her time of the month. Those recollections speak to the monstrous behavior outlined by so many women.
The public has its opinions about Weinstein's guilt and/or innocence, but the most important thing to remember while awaiting a verdict in the trial is that these women feel victimized. From Gwyneth Paltrow to Lupita N'yongo, to Salma Hayek and Anabella Sciorra, there are horror stories of actresses, journalists, publicists, administrative staffers and more being harassed by the producer. Those stories cannot be ignored. Everyone in our legal system deserves due process, so let's hope Harvey Weinstein has a fair trial and the swiftest punishment, if (or when) he's found guilty.
Project Runway season 17 premieres January 30th at 8pm EST on Bravo.
Source: NBC
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