Opening arguments were due to begin on Monday in the Los Angeles trial of disgraced Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein, with five alleged victims expected to give evidence during the two-month case.
The 70-year-old Pulp Fiction producer is already serving 23 years in jail in New York after being convicted there of a series of sex crimes.
He now faces 11 more charges, including sexual battery by restraint, rape and forcible oral copulation against women in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles hotels between 2004 and 2013.
If convicted, Weinstein — who has pleaded not guilty to all counts — could be sentenced to more than 100 additional years behind bars.
The task of selecting a jury got under way on October 10, with Judge Lisa Lench overseeing proceedings.
Widespread sexual abuse and harassment allegations against Weinstein exploded in October 2017, and his conviction in New York in 2020 was a landmark in the #MeToo movement.
In June, he lost a bid to have that sex crimes conviction overturned. He has also been separately charged by British prosecutors with the 1996 indecent assault of a woman in London.
In total, about 90 women, including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek, have accused Weinstein of harassment or assault.
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Actor and director Mel Gibson can testify at the rape and sexual assault trial of Harvey Weinstein, a judge ruled. Invision / AP -
Former film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in court at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Centre in Los Angeles, California. AP -
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a documentary filmmaker and actor, is among the accusers of Harvey Weinstein who will testify at his rape and sexual assault trial that began this month. AP -
A 2021 poll by the The Associated Press-Norc Centre for Public Affairs Research suggested more Americans under 30 would be likely to speak out if they were a victim of sexual misconduct than older adults. AP -
Weinstein's wife Georgina Chapman left her husband after sexual harassment and assault claims were made against him. EPA -
Thousands of women responded to Alyssa Milano’s call to tweet “MeToo” to raise awareness of sexual harassment and assault after the recent revelation of decades of allegations of sexual misconduct against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Invision / AP. -
Actress Uma Thurman said Weinstein assaulted her twice. Reuters -
Italian actress Asia Argento became a leading figure in the #MeToo movement after accusing Weinstein of rape. AFP -
Cate Blanchett is an outspoken member of the Time’s Up movement. Invision / AP -
Milano said she was in bed with her two young children when an idea struck her as a great way to elevate the Weinstein conversation, through the #MeToo movement. Invision / AP -
Milano listens as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate judiciary committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP -
Rose McGowan and Rosanna Arquette testified against Weinstein in 2020. Reuters -
Model Cara Delevingne also made claims of mistreatment by Weinstein. Getty -
Annabella Sciorra's testimony helped to secure the 2020 conviction against Weinstein. AP -
Paz de la Huerta claimed that Weinstein raped her twice in 2010. AFP -
Salma Hayek joined the scores of actresses to accuse Weinstein, alleging that the fallen Hollywood mogul sexually harassed her. AFP -
Lisa Bloom is a lawyer who advised Weinstein and represented one of the accusers of Ghislaine Maxwell. Getty / AFP -
The entrance to the Rikers Island penitentiary, which Weinstein now calls home. AFP
Weinstein lawyer Mark Werksman has said there would be evidence in Los Angeles from well-known figures, The Los Angeles Times reported.
“Some of these victims, people will recognise them. Some of these women, you've seen them in movies, they've been in ad campaigns, a couple of them have achieved some success as actresses or models,” the paper cited Mr Werksman as saying.
The former producer says that all his sexual encounters were consensual and his lawyer told reporters that the Los Angeles accusations “stem from many years ago” and cannot “be substantiated or corroborated by any forensic evidence” or “credible witnesses”.
Before the allegations against him surfaced, the producer and his brother Bob were Hollywood's ultimate power players.
They cofounded Miramax Films, a distribution company named after their mother Miriam and father Max, in 1979. It was sold to Disney in 1993.
Their hits included 1998's Shakespeare in Love, for which Weinstein shared a Best Picture Oscar. Over the years, Weinstein's films received more than 300 Oscar nominations and 81 statuettes.
She Said, a film about the 2017 newspaper investigation into Weinstein that sparked the demise of his movie empire, is set for wide release on November 18 in the US.
