The wife of the California Governor. Gavin Newsom, the wife of a California Governor, testified that Harvey Weinstein, a former movie mogul, raped her in 2005. A Weinstein lawyer countered with aggressive cross-examination by Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
According to the Associated Press, Siebel Newsom testified Monday and Tuesday in Los Angeles. Weinstein, 70 years old, was charged with one of two counts, KCBS-TV reported.
Siebel Newsom broke down repeatedly Monday while claiming that Weinstein raped her and sexually assaulted her 17 years ago in his suite at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel. This was when she was just starting out in Hollywood.
Siebel Newsom, a documentary filmmaker, and actress claimed Weinstein did not seem to be interested in speaking with her about her projects. He said that he was going to “get more comfortable” before calling her from the bathroom.
According to KCBS, she stated that “I didn’t know there were dangers.” “I thought maybe that he was hurt.”
Siebel Newsom claimed Weinstein was “touching” himself and “tried getting me to touch him,” according to the station.
According to KCBS, she said that “I just felt like I was frozen.” “I was afraid. This was not the reason I came here. It was almost like I had been manipulated into believing that this was why I came here.”
Siebel Newsom claimed she doesn’t remember if Weinstein took her to the bedroom or dragged it there by her arm. The station also stated that Weinstein began groping her breasts while she was standing, and then touched her penis while she was “resisting” the bed.
KCBS stated that Siebel Newsom gave a “graphic account of the encounter” with Weinstein.
According to the station, she said that she was afraid of him doing something to her, like putting his body in my body and hurting it.” She also testified that she touched his penis with her hand and made “pleasure sounds” to stop what was going on.
Siebel Newsom said that she also felt “tremendous shame” about what happened and tried to hide it, KCBS reported.
According to the station, “He had taken some of me,” she said. She also mentioned that she pretended as if nothing happened afterward.
“I was so abused, and I don’t know how it happened.” According to KCBS, Siebel Newsom stated that he didn’t see the clues and didn’t know how to escape. He, like, destroyed my emotional and physical well-being. It made it really difficult and unenjoyable to work in the entertainment business.”
Mark Werksman, Weinstein’s attorney, suggested that Siebel Newsom would not have been a victim if she hadn’t made her opening statement last month. The Los Angeles Times reported that Werksman aggressively interrogated her Tuesday.
Werksman wanted to know why Siebel Newsom started sending Weinstein emails requesting to meet again, nine months after the alleged assault.
She wrote Weinstein, September 2006, “Are You Free for Coffee or Lunch This Coming Monday or Tues?” Werksman then asked her why she wanted to “see your rapist as quickly as possible.”
Siebel Newsom responded, “It was business,” the paper stated. “I was probably just trying for advice.”
Werksman also inquired about an email exchange she had with Weinstein in May 2007. The Times reported that Siebel Newsom called her email networking and said to the jury, “I was just hustling.”
Werksman inquired, noting that Werksman was hustling with a man who claims he raped him.
According to the Times, the judge accepted a prosecutor’s objection. Siebel Newsom did not respond.
