The testimony of an aspiring actress in Harvey Weinstein’s LA rape trial revealed that he sexually assaulted her in a hotel room during the Toronto Film Festival in 1991 and repeated the assault 17 years later when she confronted him at the same hotel.
Kelly Sipherd, a 24-year-old aspiring actor at the 1991 festival, testified that she met Weinstein at a party and was later invited to his hotel room to discuss a film script, where the assault took place. She recounted feeling “nauseous, scared, [and] terrified” as Weinstein assaulted her.
Weinstein’s attorney cross-examined Sipherd, questioning her actions following the assault and suggesting that she willingly engaged with Weinstein after the incident. Sipherd also described a subsequent encounter with Weinstein in 2008, during which she confronted him about the previous assault.
The trial is ongoing, with several women testifying against Weinstein to establish his pattern of sexual misconduct. If Weinstein is acquitted in New York, the outcome of the Los Angeles trial will determine his fate, potentially leading to a life sentence in California if convicted.
