The first woman to testify in Harvey Weinstein's Los Angeles trial broke down in tears, crying and breathing uncontrollably as she faced the jury to detail her sexual assault allegations against the former Hollywood producer and already-convicted rapist.
The witness, known as Jane Doe #1, was the first to be called by the prosecution. The woman is a foreign actress, whose first language is not English. She speaks Russian, Italian and English, though her translator accompanied her in the courtroom and was utilised during her testimony, reports 'Variety'.
The woman claims she was assaulted by Weinstein in February 2013 at the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival during Oscars weekend, when he allegedly showed up unannounced to her hotel room in the middle of the night and forced his way in — and then onto her.
At the time of the alleged incident, Weinstein had only met Jane Doe #1 in passing at a couple of industry events. The two had barely spoken to each other, other than an introduction, she testified. The woman was visiting L.A. for a business trip to the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival because she was invited as a guest of the festival's founder.
As a popular actress in Italy, Jane Doe #1 was required to walk red carpets at the festival, occupy VIP sections of the theatre and attend exclusive industry dinner parties.
According to the woman, Weinstein suddenly showed up to her hotel, Mr. C Beverly Hills, after the actress returned to her hotel room past midnight one evening. She says she had not informed him of where she was staying, let alone engaged in much conversation with him at all, so she was confused as to how he knew her whereabouts and why he was there.
After returning to her hotel and dressing in a robe to get ready for bed, the hotel lobby called her room to say she had a guest. "I said I didn't expect any guest," Jane Doe #1 recalled to the jury. The hotel staff informed her it was Weinstein downstairs. "I was confused... I didn't understand what he was doing in the hotel."
She told the hotel staff that she could come downstairs, but Weinstein refused that offer. The next thing she knew, he was knocking on her door and loudly announcing himself. He said, "I want to talk to you." Through tears, she told jurors that she opened the door so that he would stop knocking because the noise was so loud; she was embarrassed that hotel guests might hear the commotion. (IANS)
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