A Harvey Weinstein accuser struggled on the witness stand at his rape retrial on Thursday after being confronted with a previously undisclosed, soul-searching note she wrote to herself two days after the alleged assault. Jessica Mann straightforwardly answered questions about the missive, in which she described becoming "emotionally attached" to an unnamed person and wanting a loving partnership. Weinstein's defense pointed out that she wrote nothing about having allegedly been raped, per the AP. Mann, a hairstylist and actor, has acknowledged the two had a consensual, on-again-off-again sexual relationship but alleges it degenerated into rape in New York in March 2013 and again some months later in Beverly Hills, California.
Weinstein has never been charged with any crime related to the California allegation. His lawyers maintain that everything that happened between the two was consensual and part of a supportive, caring relationship. The sketchy, journal-like note that came up in court on Thursday was written on March 20, 2013. Mann had just returned to her Los Angeles home from New York, where she says Weinstein forced himself on her. In the missive, Mann mused about budding feelings of attachment in a nonexclusive relationship with a man she didn't name. She reflected on how she wanted a mutual and loving relationship and said her feelings toward the man were creating inner conflict for her.
"I know that I was struggling with some of the decisions I was making that were different than what I was raised with," Mann explained in court. She also testified that "I was feeling very controlled." Weinstein attorney Teny Geragos suggested the note reflected Mann's feelings about being involved with the then-married Weinstein. Mann testified on Wednesday that, despite the alleged rape, she loved "a part of him," as Weinstein could be kind and encouraging about her personal struggles and professional dreams, and that the two had "some pretty human moments" together.
Proceedings came to an early end after Mann, 40, said she was feeling "spacey" from the difficulty of testifying. The court took a break, but soon after Mann returned, she said she felt "dissociated" and sensed she wasn't hearing properly because of stress. It's the third time Mann has testified against Weinstein, 74. He was initially convicted in 2020, but an appeals court overturned that verdict for reasons unrelated to her testimony. The jury at his first retrial, last year, didn't decide the rape charge. More here.
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