Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, became visibly appalled when asked to recreate how she faked an orgasm on the stand as she gave evidence during the sexual assault trial of Harvey Weinstein.
California’s first lady balked when defense attorney Mark Werksman asked her how she “indicated her pleasure” during the alleged 2005 incident at the Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills, where she claims Weinstein raped her.
Siebel Newsom, visibly annoyed, retorted, “This is not ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ I’m not doing that,” referring to a scene in the 1989 movie in which Meg Ryan’s character memorably faked a loud orgasm in a busy New York restaurant.
Siebel Newsom — who is referred to in court as Jane Doe 4 — had already testified Monday about how her encounter with Weinstein was supposed to be a business meeting, but quickly turned into something else when Weinstein changed out of his suit into a robe, then started to “manipulate” and “threaten” her.
She said Weinstein penetrated her private parts with his fingers and then his “deformed” penis, which she described as “kind of fish-like, the penis — something was distorted in the testicles … Lots of skin, lots of skin down there.”
She also testified that she made “pleasure noises” after she put her hand on Weinstein’s penis to encourage him to ejaculate.
On Tuesday, Werksman continued to grill Siebel Newsom about why she faked an orgasm with Weinstein, when he had just allegedly raped her.
The distraught former actress-turned-documentary filmmaker admitted on the stand that she faked her orgasm so Weinstein “would be done.”
“I was making noises to get him to finish,” Siebel Newsom said in tears. “He had already raped me. … This is so gross. I’m sorry.”
When Werksman peppered Siebel Newsom with questions concerning details about her prior testimony regarding the alleged rape, she replied: “What you’re doing today is exactly what he did to me.”
Werksman also asked Siebel Newsom about dozens of emails she sent to Weinstein after the alleged rape, including emails soliciting support for Gavin Newsom’s mayoral campaign in San Francisco.
The emails, dated between 2006 and 2008, were displayed on a screen for jurors and included Siebel Newsom reaching out to Weinstein for meetings.
In one of the emails dated March 2, 2007 — about 18 months after the alleged rape — Siebel Newsom wrote a thank you to Weinstein for including her and two others on an Oscar party guest list.
“We had such a fun time,” Siebel Newsom exclaimed in the email.
When questioned why she would continue to correspond with the man who she claimed brutally raped her, an emotional Siebel Newsom said, “I was just hustling.”
“You were just hustling to the man who raped you?” Werksman asked.
Siebel Newsom was also visibly shaken after a line of questioning from Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez.
“When you went to the Peninsula, was it your intension to have sex?” Martinez asked.
“No!” Siebel Newsom screamed and cried uncontrollably.
When asked if she tried to say no to Weinstein, Siebel Newsom said, “I did! With my voice and with my body. I did by slamming my legs together. … I tried to get out of there! I tried so hard.”
When she was excused from the stand, Siebel Newsom clutched herself and continued to sob loudly as she walked out of the courtroom.
Before Siebel Newsom began her testimony on Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson told Judge Lisa Lench the prosecution doesn’t intend to call Jane Doe #5 to testify.
Under the initial indictment, Jane Doe 5’s counts included two counts of forcible rape and two counts of oral copulation.
Lench allowed the defense’s request to drop those charges, so Weinstein is now facing seven remaining counts involving Siebel Newsom and three other women who have already testified.
Weinstein — who is already serving a 23-year sentence for rape and sexual assault in New York — is facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting four women in Los Angeles between 2004 and 2013. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum sentence of 65 years to life in prison.
The trial continues Wednesday.
