US Justice
Harvey Weinstein trial: One of the plaintiffs fails
Former film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in court in Los Angeles. photo
© Etienne Laurent/EPA Pool/AP/dpa
The ex-film producer is on trial for the second time for sexual assault. One of the five women who have made allegations against him will not testify after all.
Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault trial has seen a reduction in the number of plaintiffs. Prosecutors in Los Angeles announced that Jane Doe #5’s allegations will not be brought forward, reporters present at the court reported.
At first there was no reason for this. Weinstein originally faced 11 counts in California, including rape. It was about allegations by five women in a period from 2004 to 2013.
With the departure of the anonymized plaintiff identified as Jane Doe #5, four counts of charges are now dropped. The woman accused Weinstein of two counts of rape and two counts of forced oral sex in 2009.
Several women have already taken the stand as witnesses in the trial against the former film mogul, which has been ongoing since the beginning of October, including Jennifer Siebel, wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Siebel, initially listed as plaintiff Jane Doe #4, had revealed her identity.
The 48-year-old tearfully described Monday meeting Weinstein at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2005, where she was scheduled to discuss possible projects as an actress and producer. According to her statement, Weinstein assaulted her, dragged her onto a bed and raped her. Newsom, whom she married in 2008, has been California Governor since 2019.
Weinstein is on trial for a second time on sexual assault charges. A trial in New York ended in 2020 with a guilty verdict and a 23-year prison sentence. His legal team has appealed the verdict. Weinstein has denied any guilt. Sexual acts were always consensual.