Harvey Weinstein trial: one in five plaintiffs fall from Russia not fully isolated at G20 summit

Prosecutors in Los Angeles announced Tuesday that the Jane Doe #5 charges will not be brought forward, reporters present at the courthouse said. At first there was no reason for that.

Weinstein originally faced 11 counts in California, including rape. It concerned allegations against five women in a period from 2004 to 2013.

With the departure of the anonymized accuser identified as Jane Doe #5, four charges are now dropped. The woman accused Weinstein of two counts of rape and two counts of forced oral sex in 2009.

Several women have already taken the stand as witnesses in the trial of the former movie mogul, which has been underway since early October, including Jennifer Siebel, wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Siebel, initially listed as Prosecutor Jane Doe #4, had revealed her identity.

The 48-year-old tearfully described the Monday she met Weinstein at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2005, where she would discuss potential projects as an actress and producer. According to her statement, Weinstein assaulted her, dragged her onto a bed and raped her. Newsom, whom she married in 2008, has been governor of California since 2019.

Weinstein is on trial for the second time for assault. A trial in New York ended in 2020 with a guilty verdict and a 23-year prison sentence. His legal team has appealed the ruling. Weinstein has denied any guilt. Sexual acts were always consensual. (sda/dpa)