Harvey Weinstein’s Defense Questions Jennifer Siebel Newsom on Emails, Political Donations During Combative Cross-Examination
Harvey Weinstein’s attorneys took out a binder of emails when questioning Jennifer Siebel Newsom regarding her testimony about being sexually assaulted by the fallen movie producer. The First Partner of California is a key witness in Weinstein’s Los Angeles trial, having accused Weinstein of rape.
Throughout contentious and combative cross-examination, Weinstein’s attorney, Mark Werksman, spent at least two hours displaying dozens of emails for the jury that showcased Siebel Newsom arranging business meetings with Weinstein, asking him for producing advice and seeking political donations for her husband, Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom.
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Weinstein’s defense argued that the emails between Siebel Newsom and Weinstein showed her willingly continuing communication with her perpetrator after she was allegedly raped in 2005. In response, Siebel Newsom explained that she kept in contact with Weinstein after the alleged assault in 2005 because “he was still the most powerful person in the industry,” so she wanted to keep a cordial relationship.
“I was scared of him, but I was trying to be nice,” Siebel Newsom said, explaining that she wanted to “pretend like in my head nothing had happened” to “take control back.” “I know that doesn’t make sense… But if you haven’t been traumatized, it doesn’t make sense.”
As Weinstein’s attorney was shuffling through pages of emails, Siebel Newsom repeatedly said that she did not recall sending any emails, but acknowledged that she likely did. “It’s so funny. My life is so full. I don’t remember,” she said. “I send so many emails, I have so many friends, so many acquaintances. This is just business. This is just networking.”
“I have sent hundreds of thousands of emails to people all around the world,” Siebel Newsom added. Werksman responded, “But only one is accused of despicable acts.”
One of the emails sent by Siebel Newsom was an invitation to a fundraising event for Newsom, during the time when he was the mayor of San Francisco. Siebel Newsom explained that she often would send email blasts to large groups of people that included various producers, directors, writers, agents and executives, not necessarily realizing that Weinstein was part of that group.
“It’s a long list of people,” she said. “I was trying to help my boyfriend, almost husband,” she said of Newsom, adding that “Weinstein was a big democratic donor.”
Another time, when the couple was in New York for the Clinton Global Initiative, Siebel Newsom emailed Weinstein asking if he was available to catch up. “This was political,” she explained.
During cross-examination, Weinstein’s attorney made a point to repeatedly state her husband’s name aloud in front of the jury. (In comparison, the prosecutor never referred to her husband by name.) Werksman brought up Weinstein’s political donations to Newsom, at one point asking why her husband took money from somebody who had done “something despicable” to her.
“He didn’t know it was bad money until the whole world knew about the #MeToo movement in Oct. 2017?” the attorney asked. “Is that just politics? That you just take money from someone who has done something despicable to your wife, unless everybody finds out about it?”
In various emails sent in the months after the alleged assault in 2005, Siebel Newsom sent Weinstein messages to ask about meeting up for business purposes. In an email sent in 2006, she said she would “love to catch up” at the Toronto International Film Festival. Later, she emailed to arrange a meeting at the Cannes Film Festival. In another email sent in 2007, she thanked Weinstein for having her and her husband at an Oscars party. She also invited Weinstein to a screening of one of her films and asked him to “keep your eyes and ears open for any roles.”
“I was just hustling [and] networking,” Siebel Newsom said. Weinstein’s attorney shot back, “You were hustling with the man you claimed violently raped you?”
Werksman began his cross-examination by prodding into Siebel Newsom’s memory of the alleged events, asking why she left out certain details in various interviews with detectives, only to bring them up in interviews or testimony at a later date.
“I had everything in a box, and I’ve been slowly sharing a little bit at a time because this is so painful,” she said.
On Tuesday, there were frequent interruptions and moments when Weinstein’s attorney and Siebel Newsom talked over one another, prompting the judge to ask them to speak one at a time. “Your energy is just so intense,” Siebel Newsom said, at one point, with a laugh. She frequently smiled and politely used the word “sir” when speaking to Werksman, but frequently told Weinstein’s attorney that he was “putting words” into her mouth and taking her statements “out of context.”
“I feel like you are jumping around,” Siebel Newsom said. Werksman responded, “Well, I feel like I’m asking you questions and you’re not answering.”
At one point, Siebel Newsom took a deep breath and needed to collect herself on the stand, noting she was tired from the lengthy session of questioning. Werksman sarcastically replied, “Oh, are you too tired to testify?” She began to cry and said, “Sir, what you’re doing today is exactly what he did to me.”
After the long cross-examination, prosecutor Marlene Martinez questioned Siebel Newsom again. She asked her purpose in sending Weinstein emails throughout the years, asking, “In those emails, were you flirting?” “No!” Siebel Newsom responded, breaking into tears. The deputy D.A. also asked about the alleged rape, asking, “Were you ever asking to have sexual intercourse?” “Did you consent?” The line of questioning caused Siebel Newsom to get emotional, crying from the stand and using tissues to wipe her eyes. Once she was excused on Tuesday evening, Siebel Newsom departed the courtroom sobbing.
Gov. Newsom was at the courthouse both days to support his wife, a source close to Siebel Newsom tells Variety. The governor had intended to sit inside the courtroom for the entirety of her testimony, but the court would not allow him to sit in the gallery — likely to not serve as a distraction to jurors.
After two days on the stand, Siebel Newsom’s attorney, Elizabeth Fegan, issued a statement to Variety, applauding her client for standing strong against Weinstein’s defense team.
“Over the last several days my client, Jane Doe #4, took the very difficult and painful step to publicly recount her sexual assault at the hands of Harvey Weinstein. She knew that it might have been easier to keep the memory of her 2005 assault buried, but she could not. She felt an obligation to herself, her family and, most important, to the women who came forward, as well as the women unable to speak out publicly,” said Fegan, managing partner of the Chicago-based law firm, FeganScott. “Throughout her testimony, she demonstrated tremendous strength and resolve in telling her truth and stood fast as Weinstein’s defense team ruthlessly tried to discredit her. Her courage in the face of these harrowing circumstances is admirable.”
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