On the witness stand in Los Angeles Superior Court, Siebel Newsom said she met Weinstein, now 70, at the Toronto Film Festival when she was 31 and had done small film and television roles. Weeks later in California, Weinstein invited her to meet him at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills for what he thought was a business meeting, she testified. She was surprised to learn that she was supposed to meet Weinstein, then one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood, in his hotel suite, she said. When she arrived, Weinstein had no interest in discussing her projects, Siebel Newsom said. He went to the bathroom, shouted at her and started masturbating in front of her, she said, before touching her breasts and becoming “aggressive”. “I was scared. That’s not why I came here,” she said, often breaking down in tears. “I just remembered that I was physically trying to back off.” Siebel Newsom said Weinstein put her on a bed, though she can’t remember whether he carried her or dragged her there. He then raped her, she said. “He was so big and so determined,” she said. “That was hell.” Weinstein, the man who became the face of the #MeToo allegations five years ago, is serving a 23-year prison sentence for sex crimes in New York. He is now on trial in Los Angeles on 11 counts of rape and sexual assault and has pleaded not guilty. Siebel Newsom, identified in court as Jane Doe #4, is one of four women whose allegations form the basis of the Los Angeles indictment against Weinstein. Prosecutors had earlier said there were five accusers. Siebel Newsom’s attorney confirmed in October that Siebel Newsom would testify in the case. Defense attorneys have argued that all of Weinstein’s sexual encounters were consensual and that his accusers willingly participated in a “casting couch” culture to advance their Hollywood careers. At the time of the meeting with Siebel Newsom, she had not met her future husband, current California Governor Gavin Newsom, and said she did not tell him what happened until after the allegations against Weinstein became public. On cross-examination, Weinstein’s attorney, Mark Werksman, questioned Siebel Newsom about why her husband had accepted campaign donations from the producer. She said the governor returned the money after she told him about her meeting. Weinstein, 70, was convicted of sexual harassment in New York in February 2020. He was extradited from New York to a Los Angeles prison in July 2021. In New York, Weinstein is appealing his conviction and 23-year prison sentence. He could face up to 140 years in prison if convicted of all charges in Los Angeles. Report by Lisa Richwine. Edited by Gerry Doyle Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
