Hollywood producer, who faces sexual assault charges, appeared in Manhattan court today to open his trial • Out-of-scene women's demonstration against Weinstein continues, dismissing allegations against him

• Harvey Weinstein in court // Photo: Reuters

The morning after the Golden Globe ceremony, Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein appeared in Manhattan court Monday to begin his trial on rape charges. The charges against him increased the activity of the Metoo movement worldwide.

67-year-old Weinstein, formerly one of Hollywood's most powerful producers, dismissed charges of sexually assaulting two women in New York. If convicted, he faces the possibility of spending many years in prison.

Mimi Haley, one of the complainants in the case who served as a production assistant, alleges that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in 2006. The lawsuit alleges that Weinstein raped the second complainant in the case, whose name was not released, in 2013. To date, Weinstein has rejected allegations against him and claimed all sexual encounters were By agreement.

According to the Reuters news agency, Weinstein made his way to the courtroom using a treadmill, aided by one of his defense staff holding his hand, and accompanied by lead defense attorney Donna Rottenano.

Protest against Weinstein out of court // Photo: IPA

More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual assault decades after the alleged acts were committed. Following a series of public accusations against Weinstein, women around the world have begun to make numerous allegations of sexual assault or harassment by powerful men in the business, politics, media and entertainment industries.

Some of Weinstein's complainants organized an out-of-court press conference attended by actresses Rosanna Arquette and Rose McGowan.

Weinstein, who was accustomed to marching on the red carpet at the Hollywood film industry ceremonies, stands behind acclaimed films such as "In love with Shakespeare," which won the Best Picture Award at the 1999 Academy Awards, and "The English Wounded."

The allegations against Weinstein were first reported in the New York Times and New Yorker magazine in October 2017. A few days later, he was expelled from the American Film Academy. Actress Alyssa Milano then tweeted on Twitter: "If you have ever been harassed, or sexually assaulted, you will write 'Me too' as an answer to this tweet." This tweet sparked #metoo protest, which has become one of the most common hashtags. According to BrandWatch research firm, in 2019 this hashtag has been viewed no less than 42 billion times.

Weinstein on his way to court // Photo: AFP

The jury selection stage will begin tomorrow, and experts say it will likely be a complex task for both legal teams in the case, given the extensive media coverage surrounding the case. Attorneys will be forced to investigate potential jurors about their level of knowledge and opinion about the case, their employment record and whether they themselves were victims of harassment or sexual assault.

Even if Weinstein is acquitted, he is expected to face civil lawsuits filed against him by 29 women in the United States, Canada and Europe. The charges in lawsuits range from assault, libel, slander and sex trafficking. Weinstein denies the charges.

The parties tried to reach a $ 25 million settlement for women who complained about Weinstein's harassment and sexual harassment, under which Weinstein would not be pleaded guilty or pay the money out of his own pocket. The agreement still requires approval by a Manhattan federal judge and a bankruptcy judge in Delaware.

In March 2018, Weinstein and his brother Bob Productions filed for bankruptcy.