Miriam 'Mimi' Haleyi feels "relieved" after Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of third-degree rape and a first-degree criminal sex act.
Harvey Weinstein
Mimi was one of the women who testified against the 67-year-old movie mogul in his Manhattan criminal sexual assault trial, which on Monday (24.02.20) saw him found guilty of two of the five charges against him.
And following the verdict, Mimi - whose allegations pertained to the first-degree criminal sex act of which Weinstein was convicted - has said she feels a "sense of relief" knowing that the "jury got it".
Speaking on 'Good Morning America', she said: "I just sat down and I started crying. It was just a huge sense of relief - just the relief that the jury got it, that they believed me and I was heard."
Mimi had testified that in 2006, Weinstein forced oral sex on her in his Manhattan apartment, leading him to be charged with a first-degree criminal sex act.
The third-degree rape charge came as Jessica Mann had alleged Weinstein raped her in a hotel room in New York in 2013.
And actress Annabella Sciorra had also given testimony about an incident in the 1990s, but Weinstein was acquitted of those charges, including the most serious charge of predatory sexual assault.
Annabella recently spoke out to express her disappointment at not getting the verdict she was hoping for, but said her testimony had been "necessary".
She said: "My testimony was painful but necessary. I spoke for myself and with the strength of the 80-plus victims of Harvey Weinstein in my heart. While we hope for continued righteous outcomes that bring absolute justice, we can never regret breaking the silence. For in speaking truth to power we pave the way for a more just culture, free of the scourge of violence against women."
Meanwhile, Weinstein's defense team have said they plan to appeal to have the jury's verdict overturned.
Donna Rotunno, Weinstein's lead attorney, said: "Obviously, this is a bittersweet day. We are disappointed. We knew we came in and we were down 35-0 on the day that we started this trial.
"The jurors came in knowing everything they could know about this case. We couldn't find a juror who had never heard of Harvey Weinstein.
"[We will] absolutely be appealing [the verdict]. The fight is not over."
Weinstein was taken to jail following the verdict on Monday, where he will remain until he is sentenced on March 11.
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