Harvey Weinstein arrives using a walker at the Manhattan Criminal Court, on January 6, 2020 in New York City.
Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, whose exposure as an alleged serial sexual predator ignited the #MeToo movement, was heckled as he entered a New York courthouse to begin a rape trial Monday.
“Thank God your mother is not here to see this,” a one of about two dozen protestors yelled at a feeble-looking Weinsten as he hobbled torward Manhattan Criminal Court, according to The New York Daily News.
“Mr. Weinstein, are you scared?” another person asked from the crowd, which included people holding signs that said “Listen to Survivors” and “Justice for Surivors.”
The 67-year-old Weinstein said nothing in response.
Monday’s brief proceedings dealt with legal issues related to Weinstein’s trial for alleged sexual crimes against two women.
Jury selection is set to begin in the case Tuesday morning, and is expected to take weeks.
Weinstein is accused of raping one of the accusers in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. The other woman accused him of forcibly performing a sexual act on her in 2006.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included four counts of felony predatory sexual assault, one count of criminal sexual act and one count apiece of first- and third-degree rape.
The movie producer claims that any sexual contact he had with women was consensual.
But in addition to the accusers whose allegations form the criminal case against him, more than 80 other women have claimed he sexually harassed or assaulted them.
A group of 25 of his accusers, among them the actresses Rose McGowan and Roseanna Arquette, last week released a statement in anticipation of the trial kicking off.
Actress Rose McGowan speaks during a press conference, after Harvey Weinstein arrived at State Supreme Court in Manhattan January 6, 2020 on the first day of his criminal trial on charges of rape and sexual assault in New York City.
Johannes Eisele | AFP | Getty Images
“Next week, the world will be watching as Harvey Weinstein walks into court to stand trial for a fraction of the egregious crimes he has committed,” the women said. “Weinstein is a serial predator who sexually abused women for decades, taking advantage of his power and connections to systematically silence the women who could bring his crimes to light.”
The statement went on to say that after a number of women went public with their allegations against Weinstein in 2017 in interviews with The New York Times and The New Yorker, “this ugly façade came down and he finally faced a public and professional reckoning for his actions.”
“This trial is critical to show that predators everywhere will be held accountable and that speaking up can bring about real change. We refuse to be silenced and will continue to speak out until this unrepentant abuser is brought to justice.”