Weinstein’s attorney Mark Werksman told jurors that they should prepare to hear a “firehose of false and unprovable allegations” from women who agreed to have consensual sexual interactions with the disgraced producer, but years later, are now embarrassed and lying about what really happened, reports ‘Variety’. “Look at my client,” Werksman said, pointing to Weinstein.
Producer Harvey Weinstein’s defense told the jury that there is absolutely no evidence against their client and that every woman who will testify in his trial is an actress who will be playing a role on the stand — all to fit the narrative of #MeToo, which they characterized as an ‘asteroid’ of a movement that “burst forth like a supernova” with Weinstein as the poster child.
Weinstein’s attorney Mark Werksman told jurors that they should prepare to hear a “firehose of false and unprovable allegations” from women who agreed to have consensual sexual interactions with the disgraced producer, but years later, are now embarrassed and lying about what really happened, reports ‘Variety’.
Look at my client,” Werksman said, pointing to Weinstein.
“He’s not Brad Pitt or George Clooney. Do you think these beautiful women had sex with him because he’s hot? No, it’s because he’s powerful.”Weinstein’s attorney told the jury that Hollywood has changed today, but back in the day, “transactional sex” was par for the course.
“Sex was a commodity” for “rich and powerful men, like my client”, Weinstein’s attorney said, even getting its own nickname: the casting couch.
Weinstein’s attorney said the #MeToo movement is like a movie that turned Weinstein into “Hollywood’s Chernobyl”, casting him in the “smoldering radioactive” part of the “bad guy”.And the women? “The sequel to the casting couch is the #MeToo trial,” Weinstein’s defense said. “They will play the part of the damsel in distress with this beast.”
The deputy District Attorney (DA) explained to jurors that Weinstein’s power enabled him to take advantage of aspiring hopefuls in the entertainment industry by assaulting and harassing them, which made them fearful of Weinstein’s retaliation. During the prosecutor’s opening statement, quotes from women who will testify in the trial were presented to the jury, sharing their allegations of forcible oral sex, groping, fondling and rape.
“With tremendous fame and fortune came fame of fortune seekers,” his attorney said, categorising the women as having “consensual sex with Mr. Weinstein because they wanted to exploit their connection with Mr. Weinstein” and having “sex in exchange for something with value”.