Weinstein accuser describes her 'huge sense of relief' that the jury 'believed me'
Harvey Weinstein is now a convicted rapist, and one of the women who testified against him is describing her emotional reaction to the verdict.
Weinstein on Monday was convicted on two charges as a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann in 2013. He was found not guilty of the more serious predatory sexual assault charges, which related to Annabella Sciorra's testimony that Weinstein raped her in 1993 or 1994. Those charges could have landed him a life sentence, although as is, he's facing up to 29 years behind bars.
Haleyi, who provided harrowing testimony about her allegation against Weinstein during the trial, spoke with Good Morning America on Tuesday about the verdict, which she says she heard while she was in a coffee shop.
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"I just sat down and I started crying," she said. "...It was just a huge sense of relief, just the relief that the jury got it, that they believed me, and that I was heard."
Haleyi went on to say that the verdict "gives me hope that we're making progress" and that people are being educated about the fact that "a lot of sexual assault victims do know their attacker."
Sciorra also spoke out in reaction to the verdict on Monday, saying her testimony was "painful but necessary" and that "we can never regret breaking the silence."
Weinstein will await his March 11 sentencing behind bars, although on Monday, he was taken to a hospital after complaining of chest pains. Brendan Morrow
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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