In Harvey Weinstein's (67) process, more and more details come to light. On Wednesday, Tarale Wulff, 43, a former waitress, testified in New York court. She accuses the fallen film mogul of sexual harassment and rape. This is reported, among other things, by the "Hollywood Reporter". Wulff claims that Weinstein masturbated in front of her and raped her in 2005.
More tears in the courtroom
According to Tarale Wulff, the incident occurred when she was invited to an alleged audition. For that, she should come to his New York apartment. Weinstein is said to have raped her in the bedroom. "I told him I couldn't do it. He replied, 'Don't worry, I had a vasectomy.' I went black …" said the witness in tears in the courtroom. She hadn't fought back, she was frozen.
Tarale Wulff has neither reported the incident nor told anyone about it. She just wanted to forget the whole thing. There was never an audition. The first meeting with Weinstein had already taken place earlier. At that time she worked as a cocktail waitress in a trendy restaurant in Soho. Weinstein is said to have led Wulff to an unused terrace and masturbated in front of her.
"I froze for a minute"
Dawn Dunning (40) made her statement in front of Tarale Wulff. She told the jury that she met Weinstein in 2004. At that time she worked as a cocktail waitress in a nightclub and wanted to pursue her acting career. She gave Weinstein her number because he offered to help her. A short time later there was a meeting in a hotel suite. They had been sitting on a bed together and had a professional conversation before he became an assault.
Weinstein is said to have put a hand under her skirt and tried to caress her genital area. "I froze for a minute and then got up," said Dunning. "He told me not to make a big deal about it. He apologized, said it wouldn't happen again." She told herself that it was a one-time slip. That's why she met Weinstein again a few weeks later.
They wanted to discuss film projects in a hotel in Manhattan. There, Weinstein is said to have pushed her into a threesome with his assistant. But Dunning protested and fled the room. She didn't tell anyone about the incidents. "I was ashamed. (…) I didn't want to be a victim." In addition, she did not know whether this behavior was criminal.
The prosecutor's office calls several suspected victims, even if their cases are not prosecuted. Weinstein is on trial for allegations by production assistant Miriam "Mimi" Haley and actress Jessica Mann. He is said to have raped her. Weinstein denies the allegations. The process is expected to continue until early March. Weinstein faces life imprisonment if convicted.