The First Lady of California to testify as a victim in the Weinstein trial

The First Lady of California to testify as a victim in the Weinstein trial




The First Lady of California to testify as a victim in the Weinstein trial

Documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom (“Fair Play”), wife of current California Governor Gavin Newsom, will testify as a victim in the trial of producer Harvey Weinstein (“The Hateful Eight”), which began Monday (10/10), In Los Angeles . The date of Newsom’s deposition has not yet been disclosed.

“Like many other women, my client was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein in an alleged business meeting that turned out to be a trap,” attorney Elizabeth Fegan told Deadline. “She intends to testify at her trial to seek some justice for the survivors and as part of her life’s work to improve the lives of women.”

The lawyer also stated that Newsom does not intend to discuss the matter out of court and demanded that the First Lady’s decision be respected.

Until this latter time identified only as “Jane Doe” (Joana Nobody) in the trial, Newsom was allegedly raped by Weinstein between September 2004 and September 2005, in Los Angeles, according to court records.

Despite being revealed now as an accuser, Jennifer Siebel Newsom (who in addition to being a documentary director also has a long career as an actress) had already speculated that she was one of the producer’s victims. She detailed Weinstein’s attack in a 2017 article published in the Huffington Post.

“I was naive, new to the industry, and didn’t know how to handle his aggressive advances: late-night business invitations from a friend at the Toronto Film Festival and, later, an invitation to meet him and talk about a role at the La Peninsula Hotel. where the staff was present and then suddenly disappeared, leaving me alone with this extremely powerful and intimidating Hollywood legend, “he wrote at the time.

Siebel Newsom’s original account came shortly after the New York Times reported decades of Weinstein’s rape, assault and threats of harassment against actresses and other women in the entertainment industry.

Weinstein is facing four counts of rape, four counts of forced oral intercourse, one count of forced sexual penetration, one count of sexual assault for restraint and sexual assault, in several incidents involving five women in Los Angeles County from 2004 to 2013. .

He has already been sentenced to 23 years in prison by a Manhattan jury in March 2020 for other sex crimes and could increase his sentence to 140 years in prison if found guilty in Los Angeles.

The process began with the selection of the jury, a process that can last up to two weeks. Therefore, the accusers and their witnesses should not be heard until after October 22. The trial is expected to last up to two months in court.

Weinstein is currently challenging the New York court decision to try to revoke or shorten his sentence.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s most recent documentary, “Fair Play” (2022), won the Bergen International Film Festival. His previous works include “The Mask You Live In” (2015), which won an award at the Las Vegas International Film Festival, and “Miss Representation” (2011), which was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film. Festival.

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Source: Terra

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