Disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein was a “monster” who used his power to repeatedly rape young women, promising they might reach Hollywood in the event that they had sex with him, prosecutors allege.
Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez told jurors during closing arguments at Weinstein’s Los Angeles trial that girls he allegedly raped and sexually assaulted were “prey” to the highest “wolf” of Hollywood.
“He was a titan within the film industry,” Martinez said as an image of a smiling Weinstein flashed on a big screen that was followed by an image of a wolf. “He held untold wealth, rubbed elbows with actors and actresses, launched their careers.
“In a word, he was powerful, and he held that power to prey on women, to silence women. He used that power without the implications of his predatory behavior.”
Weinstein — who’s already serving a 23-year sentence for rape and sexual assault in Latest York — is facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting 4 women in Los Angeles between 2004 and 2013.
He faces two counts of forcible rape and five counts of sexual assault involving a dancer, a model and a massage therapist.
The fourth Jane Doe, documentary filmmaker and producer Jennifer Siebel Newsom— wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom — also provided bombshell testimony that Weinstein allegedly raped her on the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills in 2005.
Throughout the four-week trial, each of the Jane Does and extra 4 alleged victims, described the disgraced movie producer’s genitalia in unflattering ways– calling his penis from “fish-like,” “deformed” and “disgusting.”
Even though it was not mentioned on this trial, it was revealed in Weinstein’s Latest York case that the producer had surgery to maneuver his testicles into his thighs after he contracted a disease referred to as Fournier’s gangrene.
On Wednesday, a haggard-looking Weinstein wearing a dark suit sat barely slumped over in his chair and coughed a couple of times. When Judge Lisa Lench asked if he still wanted to keep up his decision to not testify on his own behalf, Weinstein replied, “Yes, Your Honor.”
Martinez also played for jurors a damning recording made by model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, who was a part of a 2015 NYPD sting operation against the previous movie mogul.
Within the now infamous recording, which also was utilized in the Latest York trial, Weinstein pleaded with Gutierrez to go as much as his hotel room where they might proceed their conversation about her profession.
While Gutierrez was in a position to escape Weinstein’s advances that night, Martinez said the opposite victims went to the hotel rooms because they believed they were protected since one in every of Weinstein’s female employees or associates were present.
Martinez said these Weinstein associates were his “fixers” and left the unassuming victims in rooms with a predator.
“Apparently, when you find yourself related to the defendant, there isn’t any ‘Girl Code,’” Martinez said.
The prosecutor said once he got the ladies trapped within the hotel room, he would quickly undress and masturbate in front of them until he ejaculated. With a number of the alleged victims, he digitally penetrated their private parts together with his finger or his penis.
Weinstein allegedly would then cover up his assaults by getting his staff to achieve out to the ladies afterwards with a promise of possible projects.
“He tried to get this as much as his lawyers … in order that they can let you know that these rapes were just transactional sex,” Martinez told jurors.
Martinez will proceed her closing argument on Thursday, which might be followed by the defense.