Harvey Weinstein: I Am Not Trying To Intimidate Jurors In Rape Trial

Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial is underway, and it looks like the film executive's reps want to make sure we all know that he is behaving himself.

It is the first week of the disgraced Weinstein Company executive’s trial for allegations of rape and sexual assault in Los Angeles. Witnesses are testifying one by one accusing him of forcing himself on them in one way or another. The exec pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of rape and sexual assault against five women.

One of those women is Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a documentary director, and actress who is now married to Gavin Newsom, the governor of California. In 2020, he was convicted in New York of sex crime accusations in that state where 23 long years await him.

Some news organizations are now claiming that the jury feels overwhelmed by Weinstein in L.A. as they feel he is leering at them in an effort to intimidate them.

Weinstein’s reps have issued a statement to The Blast updating the exec's frame of mind at this time. They pointed out that despite earlier reports, Weinstein is in no state to be attempting to look at the jury or anyone else in the courtroom.

“He is trying to not make eye contact with the jury, he is afraid to look at them and feels uneasy about it, imagining what they might be thinking of him.” The rep also reminded everyone that the sickly Weinstein is “wheeled in, helped by the guards or lawyers into a stationary chair, and that is where he sits.”

As the trial continues, Weinstein’s lawyers have been going hard on the alleged victims during their cross-examinations. This could add to the supposed intimidation that some of the jury members are feeling.

In some instances, they have accused Jane Doe of changing her statement and using harsh comments like, “you completely omitted any reference to his testicles being in your mouth,” when cross-examining questions led to discrepancies regarding her statements to the police and her later recounting of the story.

The exec is getting a story about his life but not the one everyone aspires for, his story will focus on the years he spent allegedly assaulting women by way of his power as a film exec. Carey Mulligan will play New York Times reporter Megan Twohey who, alongside her co-worker, Jodi Kantor played by Zoe Kazan broke the horrific story.

The movie titled She Said will dive into the shocking story that launched the #MeToo movement and solidified Weinstein as a predator through accounts of women who all claimed he assaulted them.