Weinstein accuser testifies about alleged 2006 sex assault: ‘The unthinkable was happening’

By JENNIFER PELTZ NEW YORK AP A former TV production assistant informed a jury Wednesday that Harvey Weinstein held her down on a bed and forced oral sex on her after she recounted him No no it s not going to happen Dabbing her eyes Miriam Haley recalled what ran through her mind during the alleged July assault The unthinkable was happening I just thought any unthinkable thing could happen I just didn t know where it ended Weinstein sitting between his lawyers shook his head as she spoke Haley who has also gone by the name Mimi Haleyi is the first of the ex-Hollywood honcho s accusers to testify at his rape retrial It s happening because New York s highest court overturned Weinstein s conviction The -year-old former studio boss has pleaded not guilty and denies sexually assaulting anyone Miriam Haley center an accuser testifying at Harvey Weinstein s rape trial arrives to the courtroom after a break in New York Tuesday April AP Photo Seth Wenig Miriam Haley center an accuser testifying at Harvey Weinstein s rape trial arrives to the courtroom after a break in New York Tuesday April AP Photo Seth Wenig Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan for his retrial on Wednesday April in New York Sarah Yenesel Pool Photo via AP Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan for his retrial on Wednesday April in New York Sarah Yenesel Pool Photo via AP Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan for his retrial on Wednesday April in New York Sarah Yenesel Pool Photo via AP Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan for his retrial on Wednesday April in New York Sarah Yenesel Pool Photo via AP Show Caption of Miriam Haley center an accuser testifying at Harvey Weinstein s rape trial arrives to the courtroom after a break in New York Tuesday April AP Photo Seth Wenig Expand Haley testified at the original trial and was candid last year about her mixed feelings about repeating the experience Weinstein s attorneys haven t yet had their chance to question her and potentially try to poke holes in her account But the defense has sought vigorously if often unsuccessfully to rein in the scope of Haley s testimony by objecting to prosecutors questions such as multiple queries about whether she had any sexual interest in Weinstein Haley disclosed she did not The defense has argued that all of Weinstein s accusers consented to sexual encounters with him in hopes of getting work in show business Haley began her testimony Tuesday by describing how she got to know Weinstein briefly worked as a production assistant on his company s reality show Project Runway in June and had a series of interactions with him that were sometimes inappropriate and suggestive but other times professional and polite Throughout Haley stated she was only looking for professional opportunity not sex or romance with the then-powerful producer of such Oscar winners as Shakespeare in Love and Gangs of New York Weinstein s retrial includes charges based on charges from Haley and another accuser from the original trial Jessica Mann who was once an aspiring actor She alleges that Weinstein raped her in He s also being tried for the first time on an allegation of forcing oral sex on former model Kaja Sokola in Her claim wasn t part of the first trial Mann and Sokola also are expected to testify at chosen point The Associated Press generally does not name people who allege they have been sexually assaulted unless they give permission for their names to be used Haley Mann and Sokola have done so