A prosecutor told jurors Monday that the stories of the women who will testify that sexually assaulted them tell uncannily similar stories of themselves as young aspiring women who were cornered in hotel rooms by a man who at the time was the definition of Hollywood power.
含羞草研究社淓ach of these women came forward independent of each other, and none of them knew one another,含羞草研究社� Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson said during his opening statement at Weinstein含羞草研究社檚 Los Angeles trial.
Weinstein, Thompson said, lorded his power over them, talking about the female A-list actors whose careers he had made before growing aggressive.
Thompson played a video presentation that showed composite photos of the women, with quotes from prior testimonials displayed. Most were aspiring actors. One was an aspiring screenwriter who thought she was going to pitch a script to 含羞草研究社渢he most powerful man in Hollywood含羞草研究社� at the time, Thompson said, referring to Weinstein. One was a masseuse with a famous clientele of actors and athletes, who Weinstein suggested might write a book for his company含羞草研究社檚 publishing arm before later cornering her in the bathroom.
All will testify that Weinstein ignored clear signs that the women didn含羞草研究社檛 consent, the prosecutor said, including 含羞草研究社渢heir shaking bodies, their crying, their backing away from him, their saying 含羞草研究社榥o.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 He said he assaulted one woman after she showed him pictures of her children in an attempt to get him to stop.
Weinstein has denied any non-consensual sex and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was brought into court Monday by deputies in a wheelchair, wearing a black suit and blue tie. Before jurors entered, he climbed into a chair at the defense table with his lawyers, and watched the prosecution含羞草研究社檚 presentation from there.
His lawyer is set to give its opening statement on Monday afternoon.
It含羞草研究社檚 expected to be followed by testimony from the first of the accusers, an Italian model and actor who says Weinstein raped her at her Los Angeles hotel in 2013.
Confusion arose in the courtroom, however, when Thompson during his opening statement made no mention of one accuser who had been set to testify as recently as last week.
Weinstein was indicted on 11 counts overall, but four of those counts 含羞草研究社� including two counts of rape and two of sexual assault 含羞草研究社� involved the woman who was not included in the opening.
A message to a district attorney含羞草研究社檚 spokesman on her status was not immediately returned.
Already for a conviction in New York, the 70-year-old movie mogul now faces a trial in during Hollywood含羞草研究社檚 awards season. The four accusers who will testify in the case are expected to be identified only as Jane Doe. an actor and documentary filmmaker who is married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, is among the accusers.
Siebel Newsom was the first accuser Thompson described in his opening, saying that though she appears to be in a powerful place now, at the time of her assault she was just like the other women Weinstein targeted.
含羞草研究社淪eventeen years ago, when she met the defendant in 2005, she was a powerless actor trying to make her way in Hollywood,含羞草研究社� Thompson said.
In an attempt to head off potential defense strategies, Thompson told jurors they would hear from a psychologist who will dispel rape myths. Key among them is the idea that a sexual assault victim would not have further contact with their assailant.
Many of the accusers had contact, and even initiated dealings, with Weinstein in the years that followed their assault. Siebel Newsom sent him emails. The masseuse worked for him again. Thompson said the jury will learn that含羞草研究社檚 not unusual under the circumstances.
Four other women will testify at trial that Weinstein sexually assaulted them, though their accusations did not lead to criminal charges. In his opening presentation and a possible hint to his trial strategy, Thompson paired each of them to one of the other four accusers based on the similarity of their stories.
The Associated Press does not normally name people who say they含羞草研究社檝e been sexually abused unless they含羞草研究社檝e agreed to be named publicly, as Siebel Newsom has through her attorney.
The trial opened two weeks ago with jury selection, about him gave massive momentum to the #MeToo movement.
含羞草研究社擜ndrew Dalton, The Associated Press
