Claudia Salinas Denied Leaving The Victim Alone With Harvey Weinstein
Claudia Salinas denied leaving the victim alone with Harvey Weinstein in 2013 contradicting Lauren Young's testimony.
She said that she was invited by Claudia Salinas, a Mexican model and dancer whom she had met a year earlier at an Oscar party with Harvey Weinstein, to meet Weinstein at the Montage Hotel on February 19, 2013 to discuss one of her scripts.
Lauren said they went up to the hotel suite, she was led into the bathroom, and that Salinas then shut the door behind her.
Today Salinas told the court that she did not go up to the room. Salinas denied leaving the victim alone with Weinstein and said that it never happened.
“I would never do that. … I would never close the door behind anyone” Salinas said.
On cross examination Assistant District Attorney Meghan Hast challenged Salinas statements given to investigators and prosecutors about the alleged offence given that when asked in July 2013 about the events in February 2013, Salinas told them that she could not remember anything about what happened when she met with Lauren Young and Harvey Weinstein.
Salinas grew frustrated and conceded that she only remembered meeting them for a drink.
Hast continued “Do you remember also telling us you don’t remember anything involving a bathroom — but that it doesn’t mean it isn’t true?”
Salinas replied, “It’s true I wasn’t there in a bathroom scenario.”
Talita Maia, a former friend and flatmate of the anonymous victim, testified today. She said that she was at the hotel sat in the other room watching TV when the victim was with Weinstein and testified that she was sexually assaulted by Weinstein.
Maia said that she did not hear any arguing, the victim did not seem upset when she appeared 10 minutes later and that she did not see any change in the victim's behaviour at the time.
The victim previously testified that Maia was in the other room of a hotel suite when she says that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her.
Joan Illuzzi-Orbon asked Maia about her friendship with the victim and questioned the fact that they had a very, very bitter falling out and that she very much disliked the victim.
Maia said that they were no longer friends as they had fallen out in 2017 but that she did not 'hate' the victim.
My Two Cents: Salinas didn't remember the evening when first asked by police. Then she miraculously recalls the evening and the fact that she did not shut the door on Lauren. She'd "never do that...never shut the door behind anyone.'
There's echoes of Prince Andrew's inability to sweat and his 'travelling clothes.'
And Maia's bitter falling out with the victim is a problem.
And the defence team, well the defence team continue to be the defence team - aggressive and on the offensive - desperate to poke holes in the victim's accounts and discredit them. They are targeting the anonymous victim due to the numerous serious charges that relate to her, with the intention to discredit and sow as much doubt, no matter how small, as possible.
In my opinion, today has further underlined that people are loyal until it is opportune not to be.
The case continues tomorrow when more witness are expected to be called by the defence.
Please note that I am not naming the victim as it is not clear whether she has agreed to be publicly identified.