Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newson, testified for a second day against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who she said raped her in 2005 in the Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills.
Newsom, 48, is the fourth woman to testify against the once-powerful producer, and she broke down in tears while describing how she faked an orgasm in a bid to end being raped, according to the Daily Mail.
Defense attorney Mark Werksman responded to the emotional testimony to ask Newson to fake an orgasm for the court, asking her how she “indicated her pleasure.”
“This is not When Harry Met Sally. I’m not doing that,” she replied, appalled — this being a reference to the popular 1989 movie in which Meg Ryan’s character fakes an orgasm in a restaurant.
It's hard to read the details about Jennifer Siebel Newsom's testimony. How Weinstein's defense attorney treated her on the stand. Any woman who has had to be friendly to an abusive person in power knows what that imbalance of power feels like, and I deeply admire her testimony.
— Jennifer Barnett (@jenzerb) November 16, 2022
The first lady of California cited Weinstein’s immense power in the film industry and her ambition as an aspiring actress to explain why she remained in contact with Weinstein after the alleged attack, according to the British newspaper.
“He ruined my life, I put it in a box, and I was not going to not pursue my entertainment career because of what happened,” the mother of four would add of Weinstein, who is currently serving a 23-year sentence in New York for rape and sexual assault.
Supporting Jennifer Siebel Newsom as she stands up in court against Weinstein sexual assault. Keep speaking the truth!! You are amazing👊 Sending Love and Support ❤ pic.twitter.com/vefoCyNqOQ
— Donna Bunce (@dash4you) November 15, 2022
At the age of 30, Newsom said she found herself unexpectedly alone with Weinstein in a suite at the Peninsula Beverly Hills, the Daily Mail reported. She had agreed to join him for a meeting and assumed others would be present, anticipating a discussion about her career.
Weinstein allegedly emerged from the bathroom with just a robe on and began groping Newson while he masturbated. She said she feigned pleasure in order to bring the ordeal to an end.
“It was to expedite his experience so I could get out of there,” Newson testified.
“The purpose of you having an orgasm was to get him to finish having sex with you,” Werksman replied.
“He wasn’t having sex with me,” she answered. “I was making some noises to get him to finish, he had already raped me. It was at the very end after I’d already been assaulted. And I left right after.”
After the defense attorney pointed out that Newsom emailed Weinstein 18 times and had “seen him at least two or three times” by March 2007, she explained that she did not want to be defined by the rape and was still trying to pursue her career as an actress.
“I was trying to not feel like a victim, and be able to live my life and take control back from somebody who had harmed me and violated me,” she would later testify.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
- FBI’s Chris Wray warns Chinese hackers preparing to attack US infrastructure ‘to induce panic’ - April 19, 2024
- Michigan district stands by teaching elementary kids they can make up pronouns like ‘tree,’ ‘zie’ - April 19, 2024
- Crenshaw claims MTG wants GOP to lose House, she says they already have under Mike Johnson - April 19, 2024
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.