Harvey Weinstein’s Attorneys Challenge Miriam Haley’s Testimony with Aggressive Cross-Examination Tactics

On Thursday, Harvey Weinstein’s defense team brought in attorney Jennifer Bonjean, known for her history of representing high-profile figures like Bill Cosby and R. Kelly. Her role was to challenge the allegations made by former “Project Runway” production assistant Miriam Haley, who claims that Weinstein sexually assaulted her twice. During her third day of testimony, Haley faced intense scrutiny from Bonjean, who questioned her about the glamorous lifestyle that granted her access to celebrities, including Weinstein.

Bonjean pressed Haley on the details of her relationship with Weinstein, questioning why she did not provide a complete account of their interactions to reporters after first alleging that he forcefully performed oral sex on her in June 2006 and later raped her in July of the same year. Haley defended herself by stating she shared only the parts that were pertinent to the allegations. A critical detail from Haley’s testimony concerned her menstrual cycle during the time of the alleged assaults.

When Bonjean probed about whether Haley had tracked her periods on her calendar, Haley admitted she did not consistently mark them and couldn’t clearly recall the specifics from 2006. This detail became pivotal after Haley previously testified that she informed Weinstein of her period during one of the assaults. The trial marks another round for Weinstein, whose 2020 conviction for sexual abuse was overturned last year, reigniting discussions surrounding the #MeToo movement.

He faces charges related to Haley’s accusations as well as other counts involving actress Jessica Mann and a Polish former model named Kaja Sokola, who claims she was assaulted by Weinstein at a Manhattan hotel when she was 16. As the trial unfolds, Weinstein continues to deny the allegations, while prosecutors argue he exploited his industry power to manipulate and silence victims like Haley. Haley has indicated that her initial outreach to Weinstein was motivated by professional aspirations and that fear of retaliation kept her from reporting the incidents immediately.