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The stories of the women who will testify that Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted them told tales of strikingly similar stories of themselves as young aspiring women who were raped in a hotel room by a then-another, a prosecutor told jurors on Monday. It is the man who is defined by Hollywood power cornered. .
“Each of these women is independent of each other, and they don’t know each other,” Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson said in his opening statement to Weinstein’s Los Angeles trial.
Mr. Thompson said Weinstein used his power over them, talking about the female A-listers of his career before he became aggressive.
Mr Thompson played a video presentation showing composite photos of the women and showing previously recommended quotes.
Most are aspiring actors. Mr. Thompson was referring to Weinstein, who said one of them was an aspiring screenwriter who thought she was going to sell scripts to “the most powerful people in Hollywood” at the time.
One of them was a masseuse with a famous actor and athlete client, and Weinstein suggested she could write a book for his company’s publishing arm before cornering her in the bathroom.
All will testify that Weinstein ignored the clear signs of the women’s disapproval, prosecutors said, including “their shaking bodies, their crying, their backing away from him, and they said ‘no.'”
He said Weinstein attacked a woman after showing him pictures of her children, trying to get him to stop.
Weinstein has denied any non-consensual sexual activity and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was brought into court on Monday by representatives in a wheelchair, wearing a black suit and blue tie. Before the jurors entered, he and the lawyer climbed to the defense chair and watched the prosecution’s statement.
Testimony from the first plaintiff, an Italian model and actress, is expected following his attorney’s opening statement, saying Weinstein raped her at her Los Angeles hotel in 2013.
However, confusion emerged in the courtroom when Mr Thompson testified last week without mentioning a plaintiff in his opening statement.
Weinstein was indicted on a total of 11 counts, but four of those — including two counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault — involved women not included in the opening remarks.
The 70-year-old former movie mogul, who has served 23 years in New York and was one of the city’s biggest stars during Hollywood’s awards season, is now facing trial.
The four plaintiffs expected to testify in the case have only been identified as Jane Doe. Actor and documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who is married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, is one of the accusers. She gave up her right to anonymity.
Ms. Siebel Newsom, the first plaintiff described by Mr. Thompson in his opening, said that while she appeared to be in a position of power now, when she was attacked, she was like the other women Weinstein targeted.
“Seventeen years ago, when she met the accused in 2005, she was a powerless actress trying to make her mark in Hollywood,” Mr Thompson said.
To thwart potential defensive tactics, Mr Thompson told jurors they would hear from a psychologist who would dispel rape myths. Key among them is the idea that victims of sexual assault will not have further contact with their perpetrators.
In the years following the attack, many of the plaintiffs approached Weinstein and even started deals. Ms. Siebel Newsom emailed him. The masseuse worked for him again. Mr Thompson said the jury would know it was not unusual in the circumstances.
Four other women will testify at the trial that Weinstein sexually assaulted them, although their allegations did not lead to criminal charges. In his opening speech, Mr. Thompson paired each of them with one of four other plaintiffs based on the similarity of their stories.
The trial began two weeks ago and is selected by a jury. It is expected to last six weeks.
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