April 24 (UPI) — Jurors heard corroborating evidence of an alleged 2006 sexual assault by Oscar-winning producer Harvey Weinstein during the second day of his retrial on rape and sexual assault charges in New York City.
Podcaster and New York-based author Elizabeth Entin on Thursday told the court Miriam Haley was upset when she recounted a 2006 encounter when Weinstein allegedly “forcibly put his mouth on her vagina without her consent,” Deadline reported.
Haley is one of three women who have accused Weinstein of crimes that include rape and sexual assault during their yearslong relationship with the imprisoned former Hollywood movie mogul.
Haley and Entin shared an apartment in New York City in July 2006 when Haley told her of the encounter with Weinstein after meeting with him at his Manhattan apartment earlier that same day.
Weinstein weighed nearly 300 pounds when he allegedly placed his body against the 115-pound Haley and forcefully placed his mouth on her vagina, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Shannon Lucey told the court on Wednesday.
Haley told Weinstein she was wearing a tampon, but he “yanked the tampon out and continued to forcibly orally rape Mimi,” Lucey said.
Entin took the stand on Thursday to testify on behalf of the prosecution.
“That sounds like rape,” Entin said she told Haley upon hearing of Weinstein’s alleged actions. “I think you should call a lawyer.”
Entin said Haley did not talk more about the troubling encounter and instead became sadder and more withdrawn during their remaining time as roommates.
“She spent a lot more time in her room,” Entin testified. “She seemed to enjoy things a lot less.”
Prior to Entin taking the stand, Weinstein’s legal team showed the court several photos of Weinstein shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2014, sitting next to Hillary Clinton during a film premiere in 2004 and talking with actress Jennifer Lawrence during the 2013 Governors Ball in Hollywood.
Weinstein is 73 and could spend the rest of his natural life in prison if found guilty in the retrial of his 2020 conviction for rape and sexual assault in the Manhattan courthouse.
An appeals court last year overturned the conviction due to the court allowing testimony of alleged sexual assault by Weinstein against a woman who was not among his accusers during the 2020 trial. The appellate court ordered a retrial.
Weinstein in 2020 was sentenced to 23 years in prison and might face a longer sentence if found guilty on all charges after a third accuser joined the case against him.
Actress and former model Kaja Sokola joined the case after she came forward with more accusations against Weinstein, whom she met when she was 16.
His other accuser is another actress named Jessica Mann. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
If found innocent, Weinstein still has a 16-year sentence to serve in California after being convicted of similar charges there.