Harvey Weinstein 'will not testify' at New York sex crimes retrial, lawyer says
2 June 2025, 07:53 | Updated: 3 June 2025, 06:39
Harvey Weinstein will not look to testify at his New York sex crimes retrial, his lawyer said on Sunday.
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It means the retrial will move on to closing arguments Tuesday without testimony from Weinstein. Jury deliberations could begin as early as Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday.
Weinstein earned the right to a new trial in his New York rape and sexual assault case after the state’s highest court overturned his 2020 conviction.
The former movie studio executive's alleged offences were a main driver behind the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct.
He has not testified at previous trials in New York and California, where was convicted in both.
He still denies the allegations, with his attorney Arthur Aidala saying Weinstein was deliberating over taking the stand in the latest hearing.
Read more: Harvey Weinstein accuser breaks down in court during retrial and swears at lawyer
This is the 73 year old media mogul’s third trial in five years.
He's charged with raping Jessica Mann in 2013 and forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley and Kaja Sokola in 2006, in separate alleged incidents.
Miriam Hayley, a former production assistant, was the first of three women to give evidence at the retrial.
Ms Hayley has accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in July 2006 - she alleges the producer invited her to his apartment to “just stop by and say hi”.
She says he then backed her into a bedroom and held her down on a bed, while she cried “no, no - it’s not going to happen”.
“He was the one who raped me, not the other way around,” Ms Hayley told jurors.“That is for the jury to decide,” Weinstein lawyer Jennifer Bonjean said.
Ms Hayley then began to cry, raising her voice. “No, it’s not for the jury to decide,” she said. “It’s my experience, and he did that to me.”
