ABC/Jenny Anderson(NEW YORK) — Miriam “Mimi” Haley, who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, said she felt “relief” at the outcome of the trial, which found the disgraced movie mogul guilty of criminal sexual assault and rape in the third degree.
Haley, a former production assistant who had worked on Weinstein productions, testified in a New York court that he assaulted her at his apartment in 2006, and the jury found that Weinstein forced a sex act on Haley.
Hayley appeared on Good Morning America with her attorney, Gloria Allred on Tuesday, discussing what it was like to hear that Weinstein received the two guilty verdicts.
“I just sat down and I started crying,” Haley told GMA, saying she was in a coffee shop when she learned the news. “It was just a huge sense of relief, just a relief that the jury got it, that they believed me and that I was heard…”
Weinstein, 67, was found not guilty of the more serious charges of predatory sexual assault and of rape in the first degree. The charge of rape in the third degree he was found guilty of came from a different victim and with sentencing guidelines of probation up to four years.
Weinstein pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.
“It was terrifying, but after a lot of thought, I just felt that it was the right thing to do…so that’s why I did it,” Hayley said.
The outcome in the Weinstein case is seen as a landmark moment for other accusers and #MeToo — a movement against sexual harassment and assault that gained viral attention after allegations against Weinstein were first reported in October 2017 by The New York Times and The New Yorker.
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