Accuser Makes Emotional Statement: NEW YORK (AP) — Emotions ran high in a Manhattan courtroom Friday as Miriam Haley, one of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers, took the witness stand for a fourth day in his rape retrial. During a tense exchange with defense attorney Jennifer Bonjean, Haley broke down in tears, her voice rising with raw emotion as she confronted the line of questioning that challenged her account of being forced into oral sex by the disgraced Hollywood producer nearly 20 years ago.
With tears running down her face, Haley firmly rejected any suggestion that her testimony was speculative or up for debate. “He was the one who raped me, not the other way around,” she told jurors with conviction. Bonjean, maintaining her role as defense counsel, responded flatly, “That is for the jury to decide.” But Haley wasn’t having it. Her voice cracked as she insisted, “No, it’s not for the jury to decide. It’s my experience. And he did that to me,” using strong language that underscored the depth of her trauma.
Judge Curtis Farber, seeing the rising emotional temperature in the courtroom, called for a break and dismissed the jury momentarily. Haley, her face wet with tears and flushed with distress, left the witness stand without glancing in Weinstein’s direction. The intensity of the moment hung in the air.
When the court resumed, Haley appeared more composed, but frustration simmered beneath the surface. The questioning between her and Bonjean remained fraught, often slipping into heated exchanges that drew the judge’s attention. At one point, Judge Farber, visibly exasperated, slammed his fist on the bench and used his gavel — a rare move, which he later said hadn’t happened in over a decade — demanding order and decorum from both sides. “Let’s behave, both of you,” he said sternly, underscoring how charged the proceedings had become.
Still on Accuser Makes Emotional Statement
Haley, 48, also known professionally as Mimi Haleyi, is the first woman to testify in Weinstein’s ongoing rape retrial, which follows the overturning of his previous conviction. She accuses Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in his Manhattan apartment in 2006. Her earlier testimony from the 2020 trial lasted only a day; now, with the stakes raised and Weinstein once again facing a courtroom, her account is being examined in greater depth.
According to Haley, Weinstein invited her to his loft under the pretext of a casual meeting. She had been working as a production assistant on the television show Project Runway, which was produced by Weinstein’s company. She says she agreed to stop by, in part because the company had just booked her a flight to Los Angeles to attend a film premiere the next day. Though she had previously felt uncomfortable with some of Weinstein’s behavior — including an uninvited visit to her apartment to ask her to travel with him to Paris — she felt it would be awkward or impolite to decline the invitation.
Still on Accuser Makes Emotional Statement
Once at the apartment, she testified earlier that week, the situation took a dark turn. Weinstein allegedly cornered her, pushed her onto a bed, and ignored her repeated pleas to stop. “No, no — it’s not going to happen,” she recalled saying. Despite her resistance, she said he overpowered her and performed oral sex against her will. Haley’s testimony was backed by two friends, who told the court she confided in them about the assault shortly afterward.
In court, Weinstein sat still, watching intently with his hands folded against his chin as Haley reiterated her stance — that she had no romantic feelings toward him and never initiated or welcomed any sexual contact. His defense team continued to press her on the nature of her interactions with Weinstein after the alleged assault. Bonjean questioned why she returned to his apartment at all, given her discomfort with his earlier behavior. Haley responded that she felt it would have been strange to decline since the company was covering her travel expenses and she believed there was a professional expectation
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