Another woman has come forward to level allegations of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein.
Mimi Haleyi, a former production assistant for the Weinstein Co., accused the Hollywood mogul of forcing himself on her and orally sexually assaulting her in 2006 while she was on her period.
She spoke Tuesday at a news conference in New York with her lawyer, Gloria Allred. Allred is also representing other Weinstein accusers, former actresses Louisette Geiss and Heather Kerr.
Haleyi said she first met Weinstein in 2004 while in her 20s at the London premier of the film “The Aviator.” She said their paths crossed again in 2006 at the Cannes Film Festival and that she broached the prospect of working for his company. Weinstein invited her to meet him at his hotel room, which she did one afternoon, she said.
After “a few minutes of normal conversation,” he tried to persuade her to give him a massage, she said. Instead, she said she left.
“By that time I was crying, as I felt completely humiliated and stupid for having been excited about meeting with him,” Haleyi said.
After the incident, she said Weinstein got in touch with her and she went to work on one of his company’s television shows in New York. Shortly after that job wrapped up, Weinstein asked Haleyi to accompany him to Paris, she said.
“I declined, as this seemed like an invitation of a romantic nature,” she said. “He didn’t like that answer.”
Weinstein allegedly showed up to her apartment in New York and “physically forced himself in through the door, pleading with me to come to Paris,” she said, but she continued to decline.
After his return for Paris, Haleyi said she agreed to meet him at his apartment in Manhattan. “I wanted to maintain a good relationship with him,” she said.
They watched television for a few minutes, but soon “he was all over me, making sexual advances,” she said.
“I said, ‘I am on my period. There is no way this is going to happen. Please stop.’ He wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Haleyi said.
Weinstein allegedly backed her into a room “which was not lit but looked like a kid’s bedroom with kids’ drawings on the wall,” she said.
“He held me on the bed, I tried to get him off me but … he was extremely persistent and physically overpowering,” she said. “He orally forced himself on me while I was on my period. He even pulled my tampon out. I was mortified. I was in disbelief and disgusted.”
After the alleged assault, Haleyi said Weinstein rolled over on his back and said “Don’t you feel like we’re so much closer now?”
“No,” she said she replied.
A New York Times story earlier this month first disclosed sexual harassment complaints against Weinstein spanning decades. A New Yorker story followed days later with more allegations. Since then, he has been accused of harassment and sexual assault by dozens of women, with allegations including rape and forcing women to watch him masturbate.
A spokeswoman for Weinstein has previously said that “any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied” by him.
Allred called Haleyi’s accusations “a new low” for Weinstein. Allred’s daughter, Lisa Bloom, had been one of Weinstein’s lawyers, but as the allegations against him escalated, she dropped him as a client.
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