Harvey Weinstein used his Hollywood influence to prey upon and sexually abuse women, a prosecutor told a Manhattan jury yesterday, as a defence lawyer said the ex-movie mogul’s third New York rape trial stemmed from consensual sex.
Weinstein, 74, was a top Hollywood film producer until sexual misconduct allegations against him led to his downfall and fuelled a wider social movement that encouraged women to come forward with accounts of sexual abuse by powerful men.
He has pleaded not guilty to one count of third-degree rape and has denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex.
Prosecutor Candace White told jurors that Weinstein raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 while Mann resisted and repeatedly said “No.”
“This case will come down to power, to control and to manipulation,” White said, accusing Weinstein of preying upon “fragile and sheltered” young women with dreams of Hollywood stardom.
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