Friend says accuser had no desire for sex with Weinstein

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    NEW YORK — On Thursday, friends of one of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers took the stand to recount how she had confided in them about being sexually assaulted by Weinstein years ago.

    In this retrial, which offers new facets compared to the initial proceedings in 2020, one witness, Christine Pressman, said that she had once suggested Miriam Haley, the accuser, consider dating the film producer, but Haley was firmly against it.

    “She had zero interest in dating him or sleeping with him,” Pressman recounted, noting that Haley appeared “distraught” when she later disclosed the alleged assault. These revelations reveal that the current trial is a reflection yet not an exact mirror of the 2020 trial, where Weinstein was originally found guilty of rape and sexual assault. That conviction has been overturned due to prejudicial testimony allowed during the trial.

    Unlike in the previous trial, Pressman is now testifying for the first time, lending support to Haley’s claims. However, Weinstein’s legal team questioned her closely, suggesting that perhaps Haley had willingly become involved with Weinstein in an attempt to advance her career.

    Pressman remained firm, stating, “Never.” Haley had worked as a production assistant on the Weinstein-produced television series “Project Runway.”

    Weinstein, 73, continues to assert that he never sexually violated anyone. His defense argues that the women who accuse him did so in hopes of advancing within the entertainment sector by engaging in consensual activities.

    Weinstein’s reputation swung dramatically from a Hollywood power player to an emblem of the #MeToo movement in 2017 after multiple accusations of sexual misconduct emerged.

    In 2020, he was convicted of raping Jessica Mann, an aspiring actor, and forcing non-consensual oral sex on Haley. However, New York’s highest court overturned the conviction last year due to issues with the original trial.

    The retrial features an additional charge related to non-consensual oral sex with another woman, former model Kaja Sokola. Weinstein has entered a plea of not guilty to all accusations.

    To date, none of the accusers have testified in this trial, although on Thursday, two of Haley’s friends took the stand to confirm she had informed them around July 2006 of Weinstein’s alleged assault.

    Elizabeth Entin, Haley’s one-time roommate, testified that a visibly shaken Haley had recounted Weinstein’s assault. Echoing her testimony from the initial trial, Entin mentioned she advised Haley to seek legal counsel, though Haley seemed uninclined at the time.

    Conversely, Pressman shared that she cautioned against involving the authorities when Haley shared a similar revelation in the latter part of 2006. “I said, ‘Harvey Weinstein is the king of New York. He’s extremely powerful. You are not. You’re here on a tourist visa. Just let it go,’” Pressman, who has worked as a model, musician, and actor, emotionally admitted, saying she now regrets that advice.

    When questioned by Weinstein’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean, Pressman acknowledged she had previously suggested Haley consider dating Weinstein. Pressman explained her reasoning was rooted in frustration with Haley’s usual choice of romantic partners: those she described as “lanky, cerebral, and broke.”

    Despite the suggestion, Haley had no interest in dating Weinstein, according to Pressman. Bonjean further queried if Pressman was aware of any consensual sexual activity between Haley and Weinstein, to which Pressman firmly responded with denial.

    During the first trial, Haley testified that she repeatedly said “no, no, no” during the alleged attack. Yet weeks later, she didn’t resist when Weinstein approached her and engaged in a sexual act, explaining that she felt emotionally “numb.”

    Following the jurors’ departure, Weinstein’s legal representation requested a mistrial due to what they deemed was prejudicial testimony from Pressman. The request was denied by Judge Curtis Farber, who is overseeing the current proceedings.

    Though many elements of this trial mirror those of the former, there are notable differences. Entin defended her description of participating in the former trial as her “15 minutes of fame,” explaining it as a jest.

    A past encounter described by Entin during the first trial — where Weinstein showed up uninvited at her shared apartment with Haley and was confronted by Entin’s Chihuahua — has not been revisited, since Farber deemed it irrelevant to the current proceedings.

    The identities of sexual assault victims are generally protected unless they choose to reveal themselves, which is the case with Haley, Mann, and Sokola.