Women at centre of Weinstein trial are 'wonderfully brave,' says fellow accuser

An actor who has accused movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct says she's "so grateful" to the women at the centre of his trial that opened this week in New York. 

Katherine Kendall, 50, is one of more than 80 women who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct. She told PBS News she was at the former film producer's apartment in 1993 when he came out of the bathroom in a robe and asked for a massage. Later on, she says he came out of the bathroom naked and asked her to show him her breasts. 

On Monday, prosecutors in Los Angeles charged Weinstein with sexual assaulting two women on successive nights during Oscar week in 2013.

This came on the same day that Weinstein was in court in New York for the beginning of his trial there. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to raping a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing a sex act on another woman in the city in 2006. 

Weinstein has previously denied all allegations of non-consensual sexual activity, but said his behaviour in the past "has caused a lot of pain." 

After jury selection is complete, Kendall is going to try and go to New York for the trial to hear the opening statements. Here's part of her conversation with As It Happens host Carol Off.

What does [this trial] mean to you? 

It makes me really emotional just to talk about it because, in some ways, this day should have come a long time ago. It is amazing that it didn't, but it's so incredible that it's here now. 

We're really feeling, I think, that we're in a pivot point in the world and that this whole subject — which is a hard one to talk about — but the subject of sexual violence and sexual assault and harassment ... it's being taken seriously in a way that we've needed for so long.

What effect do you think that will have on you [to be in the courtroom]? 

I'm not going to lie, it's scary because it means that I have to, you know, bring him back into my focus in a way. I have to confront him again, even if I don't speak to him.  

I think that's emotional for sure, and I'm not going to pretend like, "I'm just so strong. I can handle it. I can't wait. I'm going to get there." I think I'll feel a lot of feelings. 

But I also think with the history of my life, that this will be an important moment for me personally. 

You're one of dozens of women who have spoken out, who have made allegations about Harvey Weinstein's conduct. But so far, this is the only criminal trial he faces, and he's charged with sexually assaulting his former production assistant in 2006 and with raping a woman in 2013. What kind of weight does this put on this trial, just on these two women? 

It's enormous. 

I've been thinking of them, I mean, just day and night, day and night, and how they must be feeling, and the kind of courage that it's going to take — that it is taking. 

I know many people could have come forward to do this, and it's really a scary thing to do, because we know that Harvey's lawyer is going to do everything he can to discredit them and it's going to be a tough situation. So these women are so strong and I am so grateful to them. I just can't get over it.

I wish they really knew ... how many people are behind them, and they probably have an idea. But they're the ones doing it and it's wonderfully brave.

The lead attorney for Mr. Weinstein, Donna Rotunno, told ABC ... "If you don't want to be a victim, don't go to the hotel room." What are you expecting to see from his defence team? 

It's victim blaming.

I've heard she's nicknamed The Bulldog. … I don't think I'll be surprised [about] anything that she does. 

[Editor's note: In an interview with Variety, Rotunno said: "This notion that cross-examination is victim shaming … is obscene. Any claim has a right under our system of justice to be questioned and cross-examined. That doesn't mean we're horrible people. But I have a right to do my job."] 

When [Weinstein's] lawyers, as they've said they're going to … bring up issues of this and the emails from the women they say … show that the women maintained friendly relations with Mr. Weinstein, how do you think the jury is going to see that? 

I'm praying that they're going to have somebody in there like a psychiatrist or psychologist that can explain the mentality of a victim because I think that, more often than not, victims do speak to their abuser again — especially in the workplace. 

They do it for a number of reasons. But one reason is it's just almost like a biological reason. It's a survival mechanism to reclaim their power and rewrite the story. And it's such a hard thing for people to believe and deal with. The brain does all kinds of things and the body does all kinds of things to help us find our way into survival.

How will [the prosecution] be able to explain to the jury … how powerful Mr. Weinstein was and what effect that might have had on the choices and the decisions of the women? 

[Weinstein] had the ability to, like, snap his fingers and sort of make anything happen. And it seems like he was somehow king of the world. Like, if he made a phone call to anybody on anybody's behalf, he could make anything happen. Not just in the movie business, but sort of everywhere.

He acted very much … like he was some sort of Mafia godfather or something. 

There was so much money and power behind it. But then he, himself, was so forceful and powerful. … He would not take no for an answer in a way that I have never met anybody in my life. 

I think that no matter who you are, it's really hard to be up against that.

What if he's acquitted? What will that mean? 

I think it's going to feel like just the justice system hasn't caught up to what's happening with the people and the morals of this country, and I think it's going to be easy to feel defeated. 

But I think it's important to remember that … we've started something that is not going to stop, and it's on us, but it's on everyone right now, to keep that movement going because it belongs to everyone. 

Written by Katie Geleff with files from The Associated Press. Interview produced by Kate Swoger. Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.