Donna Rotunno, 44, was hired by Weinstein in June and is known as The Bulldog for her fearsome reputation defending men accused of sexual abuse
It is one of the most hotly anticipated Hollywood openings – and a guaranteed box office hit.
For there will no keeping the audience away when the case against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein starts in New York in a little over two weeks.
It is dubbed the ‘trial of the century’ and American pundits are expecting the case to reach the same level of fever pitch as that of the infamous 1995 murder trial of former NFL player OJ Simpson.
In a flurry of excitement, a dedicated television channel – describing itself as ‘must-watch’ – will be launched in America to provide viewers with every twist and turn.
And what twists and turns there may be.
Weinstein, who put Manhattan’s skyline in the Miramax logo, looks likely to lose his first battle tomorrow when his bid to have the case moved from New York City to Long Island is expected to be rejected.
His legal team had argued he couldn’t possibly get a fair trial in New York – describing the city as the ‘epicentre of the #MeToo movement’, the social media campaign which started with outrage at the crimes with which Weinstein was accused.
More bad news could come tomorrow when Weinstein is to appear at a preliminary hearing which will be presented with a revised indictment reportedly relating to The Sopranos actress Annabella Sciorra.
She claims that Weinstein raped her in 1993-94. The case is too old to prosecute but her allegation is needed at the trial, prosecutors say, to prove Weinstein is a ‘predator’ with multiple sexual offences against women.
Ms Rotunno (right, with Harvey Weinstein) said: ‘Sexual assault is the only crime in our statutes where somebody can be charged with zero evidence to back up the allegation, other than someone’s word’
On the face of it, the future seems bleak for Weinstein, but The Mail on Sunday has learned that he has found new hope through his female lawyer, Donna Rotunno. Known as The Bulldog for her fearsome reputation defending men accused of sexual abuse, she has a track record of getting results.
With her sharp jawline and steely glare, 44-year-old Rotunno, hired by Weinstein in June, is the unmistakable stand-out character among Weinstein’s trio of formidable female lawyers – the other two being Marianne Bertuna and Diana Fabi Samson.
Rotunno, a fierce Chicago-based attorney, has built her whole career on defending men accused of sexual crimes, a niche she considers a noble cause. She believes that a female-dominated legal team will be especially useful in helping Weinstein convince a jury of his innocence.
Annabella Sciorra (pictured) claims that Weinstein raped her in 1993-94. The case is too old to prosecute but her allegation is needed at the trial, prosecutors say
She told reporters: ‘I think just as if he were casting a movie, this is a circumstance where he needed the right lawyers. I think a woman standing here could make a difference.
‘It creates a different atmosphere in terms of my ability to have a conversation with someone on the witness stand. I think it is more effective to have a woman asking a woman questions. I think I come across in a way that might not seem bullying or offensive in any way.
‘I have the ability to get away with a lot more in a courtroom cross-examining a female than a male lawyer does,’ Rotunno added.
‘He may be an excellent lawyer, but if he goes at that woman with the same venom that I do, he looks like a bully. If I do it, nobody even bats an eyelash. And it’s been very effective.’
Ms Rotunno, who lives alone, dresses well for her starring role. She wears designer clothes – her favourite brands are Chanel and Salvatore Ferragamo – which she readily admits are carefully calibrated to convey both strength and femininity.
Ms Rotunno, a fierce Chicago-based attorney, has built her whole career on defending men accused of sexual crimes
She has been outspoken on how sexual assault complaints are viewed by police.
She says: ‘Sexual assault is the only crime in our statutes where somebody can be charged with zero evidence to back up the allegation, other than someone’s word. If I went to the 18th District and said, “John Doe sold me nine kilos of cocaine,” but I don’t have the cocaine, I don’t have the money, I don’t have any proof that we had any communication, I have no text messages, the police would be like, “You’re crazy. Have a nice day.”
‘But if I walk into a police station and say, ‘John Doe raped me,’ they ask me no more questions.’
Rotunno has unleashed the big guns by taking aim at the #MeToo movement before the trial has even begun.
Speaking on the day she was appointed, she claimed Weinstein has been ‘railroaded’ by the movement, saying: ‘The emotion of this case has taken over. There is a truth you have not reported on. I’m not a woman who has ever subscribed to it [#MeToo].
‘I believe women are responsible for the choices that they make.’
A source close to Weinstein told The Mail on Sunday last night: ‘Ms Rotunno has only ever lost one sexual offences case out of around 40.
‘She’s no-nonsense, she’s tough and she has a sharp instinct when it comes to sexual crime.
‘Harvey respects her immensely and gives her a lot more leeway than he has with previous male lawyers. He feels very confident that she will help him be completely exonerated. They have been working closely, meeting every day she’s been in New York. As of Monday, she will be in New York every day for the duration of the trial,’ the source added.
‘They have been working 14- and 15-hour days, often late into the night. The strategy is to demonstrate the flaws in the case and prove the true consensual nature of the relationship between the accusers and Harvey.
In May last year, Weinstein was charged by New York police with ‘rape, a criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women’
‘He’s been accused by 60, 70 whatever the number is but out of all those he is only being charged with criminal conduct in two of them, both of whom were in long-term relationships with the events in question happening early on. They dated and saw Harvey for years afterwards, in both cases. That is what Donna will be focusing on in court.
‘Donna and Harvey are meeting in her 5th Avenue offices. They drink a lot of coffee and Diet Coke and then they continue working over dinner in nearby restaurants. They have formed a very close professional bond. Harvey is confident that he has the right team for the job.’
But after years of accusations of lewd and appalling behaviour, how much is bluff and bluster? After all, Weinstein cuts a very different figure today from that of the swaggering film producer who was once the most powerful man in Hollywood.
Currently on $1 million bail, he has been advised to keep a low profile. He has to wear an ankle tag to monitor his movements and is rarely seen out beyond dinners with his legal team at New York restaurant Cipriani’s. He is often said to appear distracted and disoriented while in court – doodling noughts and crosses on a piece of paper in his lap.
He might do well to pay attention, though. Fighting to maintain his reputation – and his liberty – Weinstein faces life in prison if found guilty of five counts of rape and sexual abuse.
Indeed, his fall from grace has been one of the most spectacular in Hollywood history.
Although his alleged behaviour was an open secret in the film world, he produced hugely successful movies such as Shakespeare In Love. But still he was dogged by stories of his attitude towards female stars.
In May last year, Weinstein was charged by New York police with ‘rape, a criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women’. One woman, who has not been identified, claims that he raped her at a Midtown hotel in March 2013.
A second woman, production assistant Mimi Haleyi, claims that he performed a sex act on her at his Manhattan apartment in 2006.
Mr Weinstein has denied the allegations and says the sexual encounters were consensual.
His alleged predatory behaviour was first exposed by The New York Times in October 2017. Since then, more than 60 women, including a host of Hollywood stars, have accused him of offences ranging from harassment to rape. Actress Uma Thurman accused Weinstein, who produced her hit movies Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill 1 and 2, of attempting to rape her in London’s Savoy Hotel 26 years ago.
Kate Beckinsale accused him of offering her alcohol at their first meeting when she was just 17.
‘I assumed it would be in a conference room,’ she said.
‘When I arrived, reception told me to go to his room. He opened the door in his bathrobe.’ And Salma Hayek accused Weinstein in a column for The New York Times of sexually harassing her while they worked together on the 2002 film Frida. She claimed the list of unwanted advances from the producer included requests to engage in oral sex and massages.
Ms Rotunno said: ‘Sexual assault is the only crime in our statutes where somebody can be charged with zero evidence to back up the allegation, other than someone’s word’
She also alleges he threatened to kill her following one of her refusals and verbally insulted her on set. Weinstein, who immediately checked into a sex rehab clinic after the story of his alleged behaviour broke, has denied all the allegations and says he will prove his innocence.
In an interview with The Mail on Sunday last year, Weinstein’s former lawyer Benjamin Brafman said the case against him was ‘fatally flawed’. Mr Brafman, who left the legal team after falling out with the movie mogul, said Weinstein’s rape accuser emailed the producer to say ‘I love you’ four years after the alleged assault.
Emails showed that she asked him to meet her mother and help her with a car problem while praising his ‘beautiful eyes’, adding: ‘I miss you, Big Guy.’
Ms Rotunno, meanwhile, remains undaunted. She claims the evidence will show Weinstein’s ‘relationships’ were consensual and she truly believes her client is innocent of the crimes he is charged with, including rape and sexual assault.
She will argue this week that the trial should be delayed if the Sciorra indictment is upheld, arguing the defence has 45 days to file pre-trial motions, which could push a trial start date well into October. If anything, it will buy them time.
But as any film producer knows, the climax will be when the jury comes into court and pronounces him guilty or not guilty.
Then Weinstein will face the final verdict.