Harvey Weinstein's lawyer claims she gave controversial interview, in which she allegedly branded accusers 'liars seeking celebrity victim-hood status', a 'long time ago' - despite taping it just a week ago DURING his trial
- Harvey Weinstein's lawyer Donna Rotunno has come under fire for discussing the movie mogul's accusers in an interview with the New York Times' podcast
- She claimed she didn't talk to press since before the trial
- But she was interviewed by The Daily on January 28, well into the trial, and reportedly knew the air date of the interview was Friday February 7
- Yet in court Friday she claimed that the interview took place 'a long time ago'
- Judge had ordered her not to give interviews on accusers prior to that interview
- In the Friday interview she said: 'These are consensual encounters'
- She added: 'We have created a society of celebrity victim-hood status'
Harvey Weinstein's 'attack dog' lawyer has come under fire for allegedly being untruthful about when she gave an interview in which she is accused of branding the movie mogul's accusers 'liars' who are vying for 'celebrity victim-hood status'.
On Friday the New York Times podcast 'The Daily' aired an interview with Weinstein's attorney Donna Rotunno where she was asked if she had ever been sexually assaulted and she responded saying, 'I would never put myself in that position.'
She reiterated to reporter Megan Twohey, that 'these are consensual encounters' when addressing the allegations against the film producer and accused the women of seeking celebrity status.
That interview sparked fury in the courtroom on Friday at Weinstein's rape trial in New York where Assistant DA Joan Illuzzi-Orbon told Justice James Burke that Totunno is 'calling our witnesses liars and celebrity victim-hood status, and it is completely in contradiction to your order.'
Harvey Weinstein's lawyer Donna Rotunno has come under fire for discussing the movie mogul's accusers in an interview with the New York Times' podcast The Daily that aired on Friday. She claimed in court Friday that the interview was recorded 'a long time ago' when in reality she did the interview just one week prior. Rotunno and Weinstein pictured Friday
Rotunno claimed that interview was taped a long time ago saying, '[I] have not spoken to anyone since we started this case', according to Page Six.
She said she had 'no idea' the Daily would be airing the piece on Friday.
However, Rotunno had taped that interview just one week prior on January 28 and she was told the air date would be Febuary 7, Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said.
The judge did not address the prosecutor's statement on record.
When asked for comment on the discrepancy in the dates, Rotunno said: 'The days are bleeding together. There was absolutely no intention to make any misrepresentation whatsoever.'
Rotunno spoke to The Daily, despite by ordered by the judge in the Weinstein case not to discuss the victims in any way after a complaint from the prosecution.
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When asked for comment on the discrepancy in the dates, Rotunno said: 'The days are bleeding together. There was absolutely no intention to make any misrepresentation whatsoever'
In Friday's bombshell interview she claimed all sexual encounters Weinstein had with accusers were 'consensual'. When asked why accusers would lie she said, 'We have created a society of celebrity victim-hood status'
'Leave the witnesses alone. Don’t talk about them in any capacity. Just excise the witnesses from your communications going forward,' Burke said.
'I believe the actions of the women after the fact prove that they were consensual encounters,' Rotunno still said in the interview.
Twohey then pressed and asked why Weinstein's accusers would have reason to lie before the court.
'We have created a society of celebrity victim-hood status,' Rotunno responded. 'We have created a society where women don’t have to take responsibility for their actions.'
Though she didn't name accuser Jessica Mann by name she alluded to her saying she had given Weinstein her new phone number after the film producer allegedly raped her.
Weinstein's sex-crimes trial will resume in New York on Monday.
