"Like many different ladies, my consumer was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein at a purported enterprise assembly that turned out to be a lure," Newsom's legal professional Elizabeth Fegan stated in a press release.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a documentary filmmaker and actor who's married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, is among the many accusers of Harvey Weinstein who will testify at his rape and sexual assault trial that started Monday, her legal professional stated.
“Like many different ladies, my consumer was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein at a purported enterprise assembly that turned out to be a lure,” Newsom’s legal professional Elizabeth Fegan stated in a press release. “She intends to testify at his trial with a view to search some measure of justice for survivors, and as a part of her life’s work to enhance the lives of girls.”
Weinstein, the 70-year-old former film mogul who's serving a 23-year jail sentence after a conviction in New York, has pleaded not responsible to 11 counts of rape and sexual assault involving Newsom and 4 different ladies. All of them will testify as Jane Doe through the eight-week trial in a Los Angeles court docket, the place jury choice started Monday.
The Related Press doesn't usually title individuals who say they’ve been sexually abused, however Newsom agreed to be named by way of her legal professional.
The information of her involvement was first reported by The Los Angeles Instances.
Newsom, 48, appeared in small roles in dozens of movies and tv reveals between 2002 and 2011. Not too long ago she has directed documentaries together with “The Nice American Lie” in 2020 and “Truthful Play” from this 12 months. Each take care of gender in society.
She wrote about her expertise with Weinstein in a 2017 essay within the Huffington Put up after the New York Instances and New Yorker tales made him a magnet of the #MeToo motion, however gave few particulars.
Weinstein, who's being held in a Los Angeles County jail, was introduced Monday into court docket in a wheelchair by way of a aspect door, and climbed from it fastidiously right into a seat subsequent to one among his attorneys on the protection desk. He was sporting a blue go well with, which he's allowed to alter into from his jail apparel through the trial.
He stood with the remainder of the room as the primary panel of 67 potential jurors had been introduced in, however sat down about midway by way of the method. He waved at them from his seat when his attorneys launched them.
The jurors got a prolonged questionnaire supposed to display out those that must be dismissed. Each the questions and solutions on the varieties are non-public, however earlier hearings on its contents revealed that it incorporates questions on how a lot media protection of Weinstein they've seen, and whether or not they have fashioned opinions from it, although the decide rejected questions on particular tales and media retailers.
The prosecution will likely be allowed to introduce as proof components of Weinstein’s conviction for rape and sexual assault, the place the state’s highest court docket has agreed to listen to his enchantment.
The questionnaire additionally features a query a few California legislation that claims the testimony alone of a sexual assault sufferer may be adequate proof to convict if a juror believes them.
The jurors had been additionally given an extended checklist of names of witnesses within the coming trial, together with these of the accusers to find out whether or not they have any connection to them. The preliminary witness checklist within the case had greater than 270 names, although fewer than half which might be anticipated. Many of the potential witness checklist has not been made public.
One witness, Barbara Schneeweiss, a producer on “Mission Runway” and different tv reveals, was current in court docket early Monday and was instructed by a decide she was on name to come back in at any time.
Two extra panels of as much as 75 jurors will likely be introduced in Tuesday and Wednesday. Questioning of particular person jurors shouldn't be anticipated to start till subsequent week, and opening statements might not start for 2 weeks.
The trial comes 5 years after ladies’s tales about Weinstein made the #MeToo motion explode.
Weinstein is charged with 4 counts of rape and 7 different sexual assault counts.
Many of the incidents in his indictment, like Newsom’s, occurred below the guise of enterprise conferences at luxurious resorts in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, which Weinstein used as his California headquarters and the place he may very well be seen throughout awards season and all year long. 4 of them occurred throughout Oscars week 2013, when Weinstein releases Silver Linings Playbook and Django Unchained would win Academy Awards.