Mimi Haleyi to testify at Harvey Weinstein’s trial

Former Weinstein Co. production assistant Mimi Haleyi is expected to take the stand at Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial where she’ll recount how the Hollywood mogul allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on her in his New York City apartment in 2006. 

The Miramax co-founder’s high-profile trial will start its second week at the Manhattan courthouse with more women detailing how the 67-year-old movie giant sexually assaulted them. In total six women are expected to testify against him at the trial. 

Weinstein, who is accused of five felony counts including rape and predatory sexual assault, has denied any wrongdoing. He has made a frail appearance in court and on Monday hobbled into the courthouse clutching onto a walker, just as he has in the previous days of the trial. He faces life behind bars if convicted on all counts. 

The charges Weinstein faces stem from Haley’s allegations and that of another woman, Jessica Mann, who claimed Weinstein raped her in a New York City hotel in 2013. 

Former Weinstein Co. production assistant Mimi Haleyi (center in beige jacket) is expected to take the stand at Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial on Monday where she’ll recount how the Hollywood mogul allegedly sexually assaulted her in his New York City apartment in 2006. Pictured arriving to court Monday morning

Weinstein pictured arriving to the Manhattan criminal court house Monday morning feebly using a walker

Weinstein pictured arriving to the Manhattan criminal court house Monday morning feebly using a walker 

Weinstein, who is accused of five felony counts including rape and predatory sexual assault, has denied any wrongdoing. He has made a frail appearance in court throughout his trial, often arriving clutching onto a walker

Weinstein, who is accused of five felony counts including rape and predatory sexual assault, has denied any wrongdoing. He has made a frail appearance in court throughout his trial, often arriving clutching onto a walker

Haleyi, who worked for Project Runway - a reality show which Weinstein produced, pictured arriving to court on Monday

Haleyi, who worked for Project Runway – a reality show which Weinstein produced, pictured arriving to court on Monday

Haleyi first came forward with her allegations in a press conference in October 2017 in New York (above)

Haleyi first came forward with her allegations in a press conference in October 2017 in New York (above)

Haleyi claims that Weinstein, who she first met at the 2004 premiere of the movie Aviator, invited her to his New York apartment in 2006 for what she thought was a business meeting. Weinstein they forcibly performed oral sex on her, she claims. 

Haleyi went public with her allegations in an October 2017 press conference alongside her lawyer Gloria Allred, who also represents other Weinstein accusers including Soprano’s actress Annabella Sciorra who testified just last week. 

Haleyi, whose legal name is Miriam Haleyi and was born in England and raised in Sweden, first met Weinstein’s when she was in her 20s at the 2004 London premiere of the Leonardo DiCaprio film. When they crossed paths again at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006, she asked to work on one of his productions and he invited her to his hotel room and asked for a massage. 

She said she refused, replying, ‘No sorry, I’m not a masseuse.’

After a couple meetings Weinstein landed Haleyi a job helping on the set of Project Runway, a reality fashion competition show he produced. Later, she said, he invited her to attend a fashion show in Paris, but she declined by bringing up his sketchy reputation.

In 2006 Weinstein invited her to his SoHo apartment, sending a pick up car for Haleyi for what she thought was a friendly meeting about her career. 

When she arrived Weinstein onto a bed and forced his mouth onto her genitals. She said she tried to get him to stop, even telling him she was menstruating, but he wouldn’t relent.

‘I was mortified. I was in disbelief and disgusted,’ she said. 

In opening statements, prosecutor Meghan Hast said there was a subsequent hotel room encounter that Haleyi didn’t reveal in 2017. Hast said that though Haleyi didn’t want to have intercourse with Weinstein, she kept still and ‘let him degrade her.’

Perez is shown leaving the court on Friday

Perez is best known for her role in Do The Right Thing

Last week’s trial ended with Rosie Perez (left and right) testifying about her emotional phone calls where her friend actress Annabella Sciorra claimed Weinstein raped her in 1993 in her New York apartment and ruined a family heirloom nightgown of hers in the act. The alleged rape is not one of the incidents Weinstein is charged over but prosecutors were allowed to bring Sciorra into the courtroom to talk about it to support their case, specifically the charge of predatory sexual assault. Perez is known for her role in Do The Right Thing (right)

Annabella Sciorra cried as she took the stand in Harvey Weinstein's New York trial on Thursday to tell how he raped her in 1993, a year before confiding fully in Perez about it

She appeared in The Sopranos as Tony Soprano's mistress

Annabella Sciorra cried as she took the stand in Harvey Weinstein’s New York trial on Thursday to tell how he raped her in 1993, a year before confiding fully in Perez about it. She appeared in The Sopranos as Tony Soprano’s mistress (right)

Harvey Weinstein held the railing as he left court at the end of the day on Friday for his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault

Harvey Weinstein held the railing as he left court at the end of the day on Friday for his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault

A court sketch shows Harvey Weinstein listening to testimony from Rosie Perez as his sex crimes trial on Friday

A court sketch shows Harvey Weinstein listening to testimony from Rosie Perez as his sex crimes trial on Friday 

In testifying, Haleyi will have to deal with a defense team that said it plans to confront Weinstein´s accusers with their own words – messages they exchanged with Weinstein well after the alleged assaults. 

Weinstein’s lawyers are focusing on the positive-sounding emails and texts calls the victims exchanged with Weinstein to call into question the accusers’ accounts. 

The movie giant’s defense team is trying to paint the accusers as opportunistic women who willingly had transnational sex with Weinstein in order to advance their own careers and some of the accusers continued intimate relationships with him after the alleged attacks, his attorneys claim. 

Some of Haleyi’s messages were made public last year when Weinstein´s lawyers sought to get his case dismissed. One sent to Weinstein’s phone in 2007 reads: ‘Hi! Just wondering if u have any news on whether Harvey will have time to see me before he leaves? X Miriam.’ 

Last week actress Annabella Sciorra testified that Mr. Weinstein had raped her in her Manhattan apartment in the early 1990s. She said on a second occasion he showed up uninvited outsider her hotel room wearing just his underwear and carrying baby oil in one hand and a videotape in another. 

Last week’s trial ended with Rosie Perez testifying about her emotional phone calls where Sciorra said Weinstein raped her in 1993 in her New York apartment and ruined a family heirloom nightgown of hers in the act. 

The alleged rape is not one of the incidents Weinstein is charged over but prosecutors were allowed to bring Sciorra into the courtroom to talk about it to support their case, specifically the charge of predatory sexual assault.  

Who are Weinstein’s accusers who will testify?

One is actress Annabella Sciorra who claims Weinstein raped her in her New York City apartment in 1993. 

A second is Haleyi, who claims Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her inside his apartment in 2006. 

A third accuser, Jessica Mann, claims the movie mogul of raping her in a Midtown Manhattan motel in 2013. 

Costume designer Dawn Dunning claims Weinstein sexually harassed her and tried to pressure her into having a three-way with him and his assistant when she was 24 at a Manhattan hotel in 2004.   

Aspiring actress Tarale Wulff claims Weinstein masturbated in front of her as she was working as a cocktail waitress at Cipriani Upstairs in Manhattan and he later assaulted her in his bedroom.  

A sixth woman, Lauren Young, claims he groped her in a hotel, masturbated and ejaculated onto a bathroom floor in February 2012 at a dinner event during Oscar season when she was 22. 

All six women are expected to testify while more than 90 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, harassment, rape, and unwanted touching.  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk