A video of Harvey Weinstein shows him appearing to proposition and repeatedly stroking the arm of a woman who later accused him of rape.
Melissa Thompson, who sued Weinstein in June, said she made the recording, shown by Sky News, while demonstrating video technology for the movie mogul at his New York City office in 2011.
Weinstein is seen on the video rejecting a handshake from Thompson and then hugging her instead and rubbing her back. He touches her shoulder as they sit side by side in front of her laptop computer.
At one point he tells her: “Let me have a little part of you. Can you give it to me?”
Thompson says that after agreeing to use the technology to promote his movies, Weinstein put his hand up her dress. The video only captures the two from the waist up but does show Thompson reacting with discomfort and telling Weinstein: “That’s too high. That’s too high.”
It also shows her joking about his advances, saying that “data is hot”.
Sky News aired only portions of the video. Weinstein’s lawyer said the full video “demonstrates that there is nothing forceful” and shows “casual, if not awkward, flirting from both parties”.
“Anything short of that is intended to make Mr Weinstein appear inappropriate and even exploitative,” lawyer Ben Brafman said. “It was produced by Ms Thompson to bolster her position in a civil lawsuit seeking money. This is a further attempt to publicly disgrace Mr Weinstein for financial gain and we will not stand for it. Facts do matter.”
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
