Annabella Sciorra Testifies In Court In Harvey Weinstein Trial

Actress Annabella Sciorra finally confronted movie mogul Harvey Weinstein in court on Thursday. According to Fortune, the actress kept the rape accusations hidden for decades and only told a few friends about what Weinstein did to her. After this, Sciorra became the first of Weinstein's accusers to testify the rape accusations against him.

Key Takeaways:

• Oscar-winning producer Harvey Weinstein faced a wave of sexual assault allegations in the #MeToo Movement.
• Of all the allegations against him, the only criminal case is the rape of a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006, Apnews reported.
• In the trial, Actress Annabella Sciorra became the first of Weinstein's accusers.
• If proven guilty in the trial, the 67-year-old producer will have to spend the rest of his life in jail.

Sciorra's Allegations Too Old But Useful

Actress Sciorra's allegations are too old to prosecute Weinstein on the sole basis of these allegations. However, her confrontation and testimonial might work as a piece of strong evidence to validate the fact the Weinstein was involved in predatory behaviour. She iterated in the court how Weinstein allegedly raped her after shoving his way into her Manhattan apartment. “The evidence will show that despite her protests, despite her fight, despite her body revolting, Harvey Weinstein felt he was entitled to take what he wanted from Annabella, forcing her to live in terror of him for decades,” prosecutor Meghan Hast told jurors in her opening statement, the Fortune reported.

“I was trying to get him off me,” Ms Sciorra told the jury. “I was punching him, kicking him.” But Mr Weinstein reportedly held her down, she said. Adding, “He got on top of me and he raped me.”

“I said, ‘No, no,’ but there was not much I could do,” she said. “My body shut down. It was so disgusting my body started to shake in a way that was unusual. It was like a seizure or something," she said. “I woke up, but I’m not sure if I fainted, blacked out or fell asleep,” she said. She was on the floor with her nightgown pushed up, she said, NY Times reported.

Also Read: #MeToo Campaign Leader Paid Accuser To Shut Sex Abuse Case

Ms Sciorra The First Of Weinstein's Accusers To Testify 

Ms Sciorra is the first of the many accusers of Weinstein to testify the allegations. There are many allegations against him but he's bound to face criminal charges in only two of those cases. The two cases include - forcibly performing oral sex on former “Project Runway” production assistant Mimi Haleyi in his apartment in 2006 and raping an aspiring actress in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013, Apnews reported.

Harvey Weinstein has insisted that the sexual encounters were consensual and also said in front of the media that he is very confident about the case. The trial is expected to last for a month and Annabella Sciorra is just one of the four accusers that the prosecutors have planned to call as a witness.

Picture Credit-  The Hill

Also Read: Weinstein Faces Life Term After New Sex Crime Charges