A key witness for the prosecution in the sexual assault trial of Harvey Weinstein broke down in tears Monday recounting the details of an alleged attack at the disgraced movie producer's home.
Miriam Haleyi, a former production assistant, said that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006 at his Manhattan apartment.
"He was kissing and fondling me," Haleyi said in court. "I walked backwards because he was pushing me with his body. He held me down. At that point, I started realizing what was happening. I thought, 'I'm being raped.'"
Haleyi first met Weinstein at a London movie premiere in 2004, she said. Two years later they met again at the Cannes Film Festival, where she asked him for a job in New York. He got her a job as a production assistant on his show "Project Runway."
Haleyi said she accepted the invitation to Weinstein's home in 2006 because she thought it would be a business meeting. He had previously invited her on a trip to Paris.
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Haleyi is a witness for the prosecution in the jury trial for charges stemming from separate sexual assault allegations in New York. Earlier this month, Weinstein was also charged with rape and assault in Los Angeles.
Dozens of women, including famous actresses and production workers, have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct. Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.
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