Miriam “Mimi” Haley, whose testimony about her former boss Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulting her was key to his 2020 conviction in New York, said on Friday that she is “considering” taking the stand again if the Miramax cofounder is retried.
During a press conference with her lawyer, Gloria Allred, Haley made her first comments about the New York Court of Appeals’ Thursday decision to overturn that conviction.
“We made progress of historic proportion when justice was served, and myself and the other women who trust testified were truly seen and heard by the judge and jury in this very public case,” she said, reading from a prepared statement.
“The verdict undeniably had a ripple effect across the globe, which gave hope and courage to women and men everywhere and set a precedent for similar cases. Yesterday’s devastating reversal of this conviction will no doubt also have its ripple effect,” Haley said. She called the ruling “a terrible decision…that sends an extremely disheartening message to victims of sexual assault everywhere.”
When asked if she plans to testify if Weinstein is tried again, Haley said the experience was “traumatizing, exhausting and terrifying” and noted that the public might not realize that the first trial took two years of preparation.
“I will consider testifying again should there be another trial, while the Molineux witnesses would not be allowed to testify in a retrial,” Haley added. “I’m glad that they two got their day in court, which I feel provided crucial information about the predatory pattern and character of Mr. Weinstein.”
Haley shared her first reaction to Thursday’s news: “I felt sick to my stomach. And my heart sank. But you know, there’s a lot in the world that’s happening right now that’s making me feel sick to my stomach. So it was just another kind of insane-feeling day, when you can’t believe it’s real.”
When reporters pressed harder about the likelihood of her taking the stand again, Haley said, “It was a very, very lengthy process and… I don’t particularly want to. I mean, I definitely don’t actually want to go through that again.”
Weinstein’s conviction for sexual assault in California stands.
Allred has represented Haley since she first went public with her allegations against Weinstein in a 2017 press conference.
The attorney said, “I call on victims’ rights advocates and plaintiffs’ attorneys to join me in proposing a law in New York that is similar to what we have in California,” referring to the Golden State’s laws that permit “prior bad acts” into evidence.
Added Allred, “There is a bill pending in the New York State Legislature that would do just that. I have not seen that bill. I do think that that should be permitted — prior sexual abuse evidence in sexual assault prosecutions — but I would want to review the bill before I fully support and endorse it.”
