Closing arguments kicked off Tuesday morning at Harvey Weinstein‘s retrial in New York City.
After announcing the defense had rested its case, Weinstein’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, began delivering the closing argument to the jury.
Aidala reiterated the defense’s argument that the accusers had lied and that all of their sexual encounters with Weinstein were consensual. He also urged the jury to dismiss the case if they had any doubts about the prosecution’s claims or were left in a “state of uncertainty.”
“This is not about innocence,” Aidala said. “This is about: did they prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt?”
He later added, “These are the people they want you to believe — they’re all women with broken dreams.”
Weinstein is charged with two counts of committing a “criminal sexual act” in the first degree and one count of third-degree rape, following accusations by three women: former TV production assistant Miriam Haley, former model Kaja Sokola and former aspiring actor Jessica Mann. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Aidala characterized Weinstein’s relationships with Haley, Sokola and Mann as “transactional.”
Love Film & TV?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in music, film and TV in Australia and abroad.
“He’s the one getting abused here,” Aidala said of Weinstein, noting that the former Hollywood producer paid for the women’s flights and other expenses and invited them to events.
He later claimed that the accusers wanted to “cut the line” and “take the shortcut,” believing Weinstein was their way in. But when they failed to find success in the entertainment industry, Aidala said, “They’re mad. They’re mad to this day.”
Much of the defense’s closing argument focused on Aidala’s detailed recounting of each accuser’s testimony from the weeks-long trial, during which he emphasized their continued interactions with Weinstein after the alleged assaults and highlighted inconsistencies or gaps in their recollections during cross-examination.
At one point, Aidala referenced testimony from cardiologist Ewa Sokola, the older sister of accuser Kaja. He argued that she ultimately became a defense witness after testifying that while Kaja appeared tense following the alleged assault in 2006, she never disclosed that anything had happened.
“She was supporting our theory of the case,” Aidala said of Ewa Sokola. “That everything was fine with her sister.”
Toward the end of the defense’s closing argument, Aidala claimed that the three women accused Weinstein of sexual assault in a bid for fame and financial compensation.
He concluded, “If this guy wasn’t Harvey Weinstein, would we even be here?”
District attorney Nicole Blumberg then approached the jury to give the prosecution’s summation.
Blumberg described Weinstein’s power and influence in Hollywood at the time of the alleged assaults, calling him a “titan in the entertainment industry.” She said he used that influence to “physically and emotionally overpower” individuals like the accusers, all of whom had aspirations of building careers in entertainment.
“He didn’t have an interest in their careers,” Blumberg said. “He had an interest in their bodies.”
She continued, “He didn’t care what they wanted. He cared what he wanted.”
Blumberg addressed Aidala’s claim that Weinstein was “the one getting abused here,” responding, “The defense is no victim in this case — and to suggest otherwise is offensive.”
The prosecution’s closing argument is scheduled to resume Wednesday morning.
The disgraced movie mogul was serving a 23-year sentence in New York after being convicted of sexual assault and rape in his 2020 criminal trial. However, in April 2024, Weinstein’s conviction was overturned after the New York Court of Appeals ruled that the trial committed an error by including testimonies from three additional accusers when they should not have been permitted. These testimonies were deemed prejudicial, as they did not provide relevant insight into the charges he faced.
Weinstein was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022 and sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison.
From Variety US