NEW YORK (Reuters) – A woman testified at Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial on Wednesday that the film producer trapped her in a lodge bathroom in 2013 and masturbated in front of her whilst groping her breasts, and informed her: “This is what all the actresses do to make it.”
Lauren Youthful cries as she describes an encounter with film producer Harvey Weinstein all through his sexual assault trial at New York Prison Courtroom in the Manhattan borough of New York Metropolis, New York, U.S. February 5, 2020 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
Lauren Youthful, a thirty-year-outdated design and actress, is the previous of six accusers scheduled to testify in a Manhattan courtroom towards Weinstein, a the moment-impressive Hollywood figure.
Young’s claims are not section of the prison charges towards Weinstein. She is amid three girls whom prosecutors are contacting to bolster their case towards the previous movie producer.
Youthful is also one particular of two accusers in a sexual assault case brought towards Weinstein in Los Angeles.
In the New York case, Weinstein, sixty seven, has pleaded not guilty to raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann and to sexually assaulting yet another woman, previous generation assistant Mimi Haleyi. Considering that 2017, a lot more than 80 girls have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
Weinstein, who produced films like “The English Patient” and “Shakespeare in Love,” has denied the allegations and reported any sexual encounters were being consensual.
The trial is greatly viewed as a milestone in the #MeToo movement in which girls have accused impressive men in small business, entertainment, media and politics of sexual misconduct.
Youthful informed jurors that she achieved Weinstein in 2012 at an Oscars meal, the place she also became welcoming with actress Claudia Salinas.
Youthful reported Salinas invited her to a meeting with Weinstein in the foyer of a Beverly Hills lodge in February 2013, the place she hoped to pitch a script she was working on.
Then, Youthful testified, Weinstein reported he had to go up to his lodge suite to get ready to receive an award and questioned the two girls to accompany him.
Weinstein led Youthful by way of a bed room in the suite to a bathroom, at which place Salinas shut the door driving her. Youthful testified. She reported Weinstein turned on the shower and started to undress.
“I felt so trapped and I was in shock,” Youthful reported. “I just could not think what was going on.”
Youthful reported Weinstein stood in between her and the door and informed her, “We’re just heading to have a converse here.” He unzipped her dress, pulled it down and started touching her breast with one particular hand whilst masturbating, as Youthful continuously informed him no, she testified.
She reported Weinstein informed her, “This is what all the actresses do to make it.”
She reported he did not permit go of her right up until he ejaculated, at which place he remaining the bathroom whilst Youthful stayed driving “in shock.”
Throughout cross-examination, one particular of Weinstein’s legal professionals, Damon Cheronis, grilled Youthful about inconsistencies in between her testimony and what she had earlier informed investigators.
Youthful conceded that she had beforehand informed investigators that she was “pushed” into the bathroom and that the attack had taken position shortly after her very first meeting with Weinstein, fairly than the following year.
Throughout her direct testimony, prosecutors also questioned about Weinstein’s genitals.
“It seemed like it had been slice and sewn back on,” Youthful reported of his penis. “Not a usual-hunting scar from circumcision. Something did not appear usual.”
On Tuesday, jurors were being revealed bare shots of Weinstein. Prosecutors did not say why the photographs were being launched or how a lot of were being introduced. Weinstein’s attorney, Donna Rotunno, reported in an e-mail on Tuesday evening that the shots were being revealed to disgrace Weinstein.
Mann testified previous week that he did not look to have testicles and reported he appeared “deformed” or “intersex.” The phrase “intersex” refers to people today with intercourse qualities “that do not match regular binary notions of male or woman bodies,” in accordance to the United Nations Office of the Large Commissioner for Human Rights.
Reporting by Brendan Pierson creating by Tom Hals Editing by Noeleen Walder, Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman
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