Harvey Weinstein Rape Accuser Wrote a Note to Herself; It Ended Up in Evidence

New York: Harvey Weinstein’s accuser struggled on the witness stand at a retrial of rape on Thursday after being confronted with a previously undisclosed, soul-searching note she wrote to herself two days after the alleged 2013 assault. The trial ended earlier in the day.

Jessica Mann directly answered questions about the letter in which she described being “emotionally attached” to someone and wanting a loving partnership. Weinstein’s defense pointed out that he did not write anything about the alleged rape.

The court ended the day approximately 45 minutes earlier than planned. Mann will return for a fifth day on Friday.

Thursday’s early end came after questions turned to the alleged attack in a Manhattan hotel room, and Mann said he felt “empty” because of the difficulty of testifying. The court recessed, but Mann said shortly after returning that he felt “disconnected” and could not hear properly due to stress. The 40-year-old man later told the judge he didn’t get much sleep.

This is the third time Mann, 73, has testified against Weinstein. Weinstein was first convicted in 2020, but an appeals court overturned that verdict for reasons unrelated to his testimony. The jury did not decide on the rape charge at his first retrial last year.

Mann, a hairdresser and actor, admitted that the two had repeated consensual sexual intercourse. She alleges the incident escalated into rape in March 2013 in New York and a few months later in Beverly Hills, California. Weinstein was never charged with any crimes related to the California claim.

“He treated me like he owned me,” Mann told jurors this week.

Weinstein’s lawyers argue that everything that happened between the pair was consensual and part of a supportive, caring relationship. They say Mann benefited from being with an Oscar-winning producer, but later blamed him after allegations against him amplified the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct. He denies sexually assaulting anyone.

The sketchy, diary-like note, which appeared in court Thursday, was written on March 20, 2013. Mann had just returned home to Los Angeles from New York, where she said Weinstein pressured her. He continued to see her socially, at one point celebrating her birthday on March 19 by having tea with her and her daughter.

In the letter, Mann described the sense of commitment that developed in a non-exclusive relationship with a man she did not name. She thought about how she wanted a mutual and loving relationship and said that her feelings for the unnamed man created internal conflict for her. He talked about questioning the “do’s and don’ts” he set for himself.

After describing her fear of rejection and being a “‘bad’ person,” she sought God’s guidance.

“I know I’m struggling with some decisions that are different than the decisions I made when I was growing up,” Mann said in court, adding that “there was a lot going on at this time in my life.”

“I felt so in control,” he testified, highlighting a passage about the search for love and freedom.

Weinstein’s attorney, Teny Geragos, suggested through questions that the note reflected Mann’s feelings about her relationship with Weinstein, who was then married.

It became clear after three attempts that these feelings were complex.

Mann testified Wednesday that she loved “a part of him” because despite the alleged rape, Weinstein could be kind and encouraging about his personal struggles and professional dreams, and that the two had “some very human moments” together.

“What did he do for you that made a part of you really love him?” Geragos asked.

“It was a validation,” Mann said.

When Geragos asked about “human moments,” Mann said she once slapped Weinstein, thinking he was inviting it as a sex game, but then told her, “Jess, that’s not you.”

“So, while you were talking about the approval you received… and the human moments you shared with Harvey, you slapped him?” Geragos asked.

Mann said he was instead referring to her remark that “this is not you.”

Mann and Weinstein met at a party in the Los Angeles area in early 2013. At the time, Weinstein was financially strapped but aspired to great success in show business.

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to remain anonymous, as Mann did.