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LOS ANGELES (AP) – A lawyer Harvey Weinstein A change in the massage therapist’s description of the former movie mogul’s 2010 sexual assault, hinted Thursday, means she fabricated details, while she insists her traumatic work has yielded a more accurate memory.
Weinstein’s attorney, Mark Waxman, pointed to the stories she told police and prosecutors in 2019 and 2020, last year’s grand jury testimony, words from the witness stand on wednesdaywhen she said Weinstein trapped her in the bathroom, masturbated in front of her and groped her breasts after hiring her for a massage in her Beverly Hills hotel room.
“Do you think your memory is better now than it was three years ago?” Waxman asked.
“Yes,” she replied. Another point, she said: “I had a vague memory then, but now I remember everything.”
The woman said discussions with friends, authorities, therapists and others about the attack brought clarity to her and confronted her with difficult details she had buried in her memory.
Werksman asked whether the conversations represented a “consensus-building” effort.
The woman insists it is not.
“The more I talked, the more I could recall the trauma that happened to me,” she said. “I’ve been blocking it for so long.”
The woman passed Jane Doe in court. The Associated Press does not usually name people who claim to have been sexually abused.
Weinstein was charged over the incident with sexual assault, one of 11 counts of sexual assault against five women in his Los Angeles trial. He pleaded not guilty and denied engaging in any non-consensual sexual activity. He has already served 23 years in New York.
Werksman specifically mentioned whether Weinstein touched her above or below her clothing, suggesting her story shifted suspiciously over time to skin-to-skin contact including sexual assault as required by California law.
“You didn’t change your story from ‘it didn’t happen’ to ‘I’m 95% sure’ to ‘I’m 100% sure’ so they could criminally prosecute Mr. Weinstein?” Waxman asked.
“No,” she said.
“Your story is like the U.S. economy, 8 percent inflation, isn’t it?” Werksman said, though the judge rejected the question after objections.
She testified Wednesday that she had allowed herself to be alone with Weinstein on multiple occasions, including two massages, and she said he was embarrassed and humiliated by his involvement in a similar unwelcome sexual act.
The defense seized on the question during cross-examination.
“He asked for another massage, and you said ‘buzz’ and hung up, right?” Waxman asked.
“No,” the woman said.
“No, Werksman replied, ‘You schedule another massage.'”
During the first massage, Weinstein and the woman discussed her writing a book about her technique for the publishing arm of his film company Miramax.
Werksman said the woman volunteered sex to Weinstein to improve her chances of being published.
“You’re pursuing the book deal because your sex deal with Mr. Weinstein is over, right?” he asked.
“Incorrect,” she said.
The woman said the book was Weinstein’s idea, and while she was intrigued and involved in several months of emails with his staff, the decision to drop the book was mutual.
Follow AP entertainment writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
For more information on the Harvey Weinstein trial, please visit: https://apnews.com/hub/harvey-weinstein
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