Jury unable to reach verdict on Jennifer Siebel Newsom charges against Harvey Weinstein
A Los Angeles jury on Monday found former movie producer Harvey Weinstein guilty of raping a woman, but failed to reach a decision on accusations brought by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California’s first partner.
After deliberating for nine days, the jury convicted Weinstein of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, and sexual penetration by a foreign object in the case of one woman. They either acquitted Weinstein or could not reach a verdict on accusations he raped or assaulted three other women, including Siebel Newsom, in Los Angeles hotels between 2004 and 2013, according to pool reporters.
Weinstein, 70, is already serving a 23-year prison sentence for a sex crime conviction in New York. The Los Angeles trial was for additional alleged sexual assaults that occurred in California. He is scheduled to be sentenced in the Los Angeles case early next year, though he will be required to complete his prison sentence in New York before being moved to California.
In this case, Siebel Newsom was among four women to accuse Weinstein of using his status to lure them into private meetings and sexually assaulting them. During her tearful testimony last month, Siebel Newsom accused the disgraced Hollywood mogul in graphic details of raping her in a Beverly Hills hotel suite in 2005 when she was an aspiring filmmaker and producer.
The First Partner and Gov. Gavin Newsom got married in 2008 and have four children.
Before Siebel Newsom took the stand, Weinstein’s defense attorney Mark Werksman referred to her as a “bimbo” who lied about her rape allegations and had consensual sex with Weinstein to advance her career.
Siebel Newsom adamantly refuted that narrative, telling Werksman: “What you’re doing today is exactly what he did to me.”
The other women testified anonymously. Siebel Newsom has been outspoken about her accusations, publicly detailing them in a 2017 Huffington Post essay that came out shortly after numerous stories of Weinstein’s abusive behavior were exposed.
In a statement on Monday, she said that the trial was a “stark reminder that we as a society have work to do.”
“Throughout the trial, Weinstein’s lawyers used sexism, misogyny, and bullying tactics to intimidate, demean, and ridicule us survivors,” she said in the statement. “To all survivors out there – I see you, I hear you, and I stand with you.”
Newsom, who previously said he would have “a lot to share” after the trial concluded, commended his wife and the other women who testified for speaking up.
“I am so incredibly proud of my wife and all the brave women who came forward to share their truth and uplift countless survivors who cannot,” the governor said in a statement. “Their strength, courage and conviction is a powerful example and inspiration to all of us. We must keep fighting to ensure that survivors are supported and that their voices are heard.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 6:35 PM.