Harvey Weinstein ‘forced oral sex on ex-assistant Mimi Haleyi when she was on her period’
A FORMER production assistant yesterday broke down in tears as she told how Harvey Weinstein forced himself on her while she was on her period.
Mimi Haleyi, 42, also told how the film producer called her a “bitch and a whore” and left her feeling "numb" as he raped her.
During another alleged sexual assault, she told him she was on her period and he pulled out her tampon, asking: “Where is it then?”
The incident happened at Weinstein’s home in Manhattan in what appears to have been one of children’s bedrooms or playrooms.
Miss Haleyi is the second of six women who are due to give evidence at Weinstein’s trial in Manhattan.
He denies rape, criminal sexual act and predatory sexual assault.
In court, Miss Haleyi, who moved to London from Finland at 19, only acknowledged Weinstein to identify him to the court - he stared at her but did not react.
In 2005 she moved to New York and accepted an offer of a job on the TV series ‘Project Runway’ from Weinstein because she thought he could be her new mentor.
On July 10, 2006, Weinstein asked her to come to his apartment and after arriving they sat on the couch a few feet away having a normal conversation, the court heard.
Miss Haleyi said: “At some point early in me being there he lunged at me and was trying to kiss me. I said oh no, no, no.
“I tried to reject him and push him away but he kept kissing and fondling me.
'HOLDING ME DOWN'
“I was walking backwards and he was pushing me with his body. I got to the bedroom and fell backwards onto the bed. I tried to get up and he pushed me down.”
Miss Haleyi put her right arm up and said: “He was holding me down by my wrists and also his body on top of me and was pushing down every time I tried to get up - no, stay!”
She said: “I expressed the entire time I just said no, no, I don’t want this to happen this is not going to happen. I was just trying to tell him to stop.”
In court, Miss Haleyi began to cry and had to compose herself.
She said she had considered fleeing but realised she couldn’t and so just “checked out” as Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her.
Miss Haleyi said: “I told him I’m on my period. It was as if he didn’t believe me. He said something like where is it then? He literally pulled my tampon out.”
Weinstein finished and she left in “shock”.
Describing the bedroom Miss Haleyi said: “I remember seeing children’s drawings on the walls and some hair colours on the shelf.”
Miss Haleyi said she didn’t go to the police because “Mr Weinstein has a lot more power and resources and connections and I didn’t think I’d stand a chance”.
The next day she did go to the movie premiere in Los Angeles because it had been booked some time before and she felt under pressure.
The next month she agreed to meet Weinstein again in his suite at the Tribeca Grand Hotel in Manhattan because he was “persistent and insistent”.
'I FELT NUMB'
She said: “Almost instantly he basically just took my hand and pulled me towards the bed.”
Miss Haleyi struggled to speak through the tears as she said: “I felt like an idiot.
“I was not interested in him and he convinced me to meet him again just to do something like that to me.
“He pulled me into the bedroom and I didn’t resist, I just lay there. He had intercourse with me. He said something like you’re a whore, a bitch.
“I felt numb. I felt humiliated and I felt numb.”
Weinstein’s lawyer Damon Charonis asked Miss Haleyi asked for contact between them after the alleged incidents.
He raised an email sent in 2008 from Miss Haleyi to Weinstein two years after they are said to have happened.
The email began: “Hi Harvey, how are you? Great to see you in Cannes.”
In the email Miss Haleyi called herself a “genius” for telling Weinstein in 2005 that The Addams Family should be made into a movie - it had just been announced that it was.
She signed off: “Lots of love, Miriam.”
Weinstein replied: “You are a genius, good to hear from you.”
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