Disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein was a “monster” who used his power to repeatedly rape young women, promising they would succeed in Hollywood if they had sex with him, prosecutors allege.
Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez told jurors during closing arguments at Weinstein’s Los Angeles trial that women he allegedly raped and sexually assaulted were “prey” to the top “wolf” of Hollywood.
“He was a titan in the film industry,” Martinez said as a picture of a smiling Weinstein flashed on a large screen that was followed by a picture of a wolf. “He held untold wealth, rubbed elbows with actors and actresses, launched their careers.
“In a word, he was powerful, and he held that power to prey on women, to silence women. He used that power without the consequences of his predatory behavior.”
Weinstein — who is already serving a 23-year sentence for rape and sexual assault in New York — is facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting four women in Los Angeles between 2004 and 2013.
He faces two counts of forcible rape and five counts of sexual assault involving a dancer, a model and a massage therapist.
The fourth Jane Doe, documentary filmmaker and producer Jennifer Siebel Newsom— wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom — also provided bombshell testimony that Weinstein allegedly raped her at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills in 2005.
During the four-week trial, each of the Jane Does and additional four alleged victims, described the disgraced movie producer’s genitalia in unflattering ways– calling his penis from “fish-like,” “deformed” and “disgusting.”
Although it was not mentioned in this trial, it was revealed in Weinstein’s New York case that the producer had surgery to move his testicles into his thighs after he contracted a disease known as Fournier’s gangrene.
On Wednesday, a haggard-looking Weinstein dressed in a dark suit sat slightly slumped over in his chair and coughed a few times. When Judge Lisa Lench asked if he still wanted to maintain his decision not to testify on his own behalf, Weinstein replied, “Yes, Your Honor.”
Martinez also played for jurors a damning recording made by model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, who was part of a 2015 NYPD sting operation against the former movie mogul.
In the now infamous recording, which also was used in the New York trial, Weinstein pleaded with Gutierrez to go up to his hotel room where they would continue their conversation about her career.
While Gutierrez was able to escape Weinstein’s advances that night, Martinez said the other victims went to the hotel rooms because they believed they were safe since one of Weinstein’s female employees or associates were present.
Martinez said these Weinstein associates were his “fixers” and left the unassuming victims in rooms with a predator.
“Apparently, when you are associated with the defendant, there is no ‘Girl Code,'” Martinez said.
The prosecutor said once he got the women trapped in the hotel room, he would quickly undress and masturbate in front of them until he ejaculated. With some of the alleged victims, he digitally penetrated their private parts with his finger or his penis.
Weinstein allegedly would then cover up his assaults by getting his staff to reach out to the women afterwards with a promise of possible projects.
“He tried to get this up to his lawyers … so they can tell you that these rapes were just transactional sex,” Martinez told jurors.
Martinez will continue her closing argument on Thursday, which will be followed by the defense.
