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Actress reveals how Weinstein raped her: ‘He locked my hands’

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Actress reveals how Weinstein raped her: ‘He locked my hands’

Annabella Sciorra, the acclaimed actress of “The Sopranos,” provided graphic testimony in the New York State Supreme Court against Harvey Weinstein, a former movie producer who is on trial for sexual assault and rape.

Sciorra, who is one of six women allowed to testify in the case, described a night of alleged sexual assault that took place around 27 years ago.

After dinner with Weinstein, she said he dropped her off at her Manhattan apartment, but later came back uninvited, pushed his way in and proceeded to rape her.

Sciorra told the jury of seven men and five women that she tried to fight Weinstein off but he overpowered her, locking her hands over her head and forcing her to the bedroom.

“It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was very unusual,” Sciorra said.

“I didn’t really even know what was happening. It was like a seizure.”

The actress, who earned an Emmy nomination for her role in “The Sopranos,” spoke of the incident to strengthen the case against Weinstein, who is accused of raping one woman and performing a forcible sex act on another in 2006.

He also faces charges in Los Angeles for raping and sexually assaulting two women in 2013. Over 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

At the time of the alleged rape, Sciorra was a 33-year-old actress known for her roles in “Jungle Fever” and “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.”

She had met Weinstein in the early 1990s and said she was too petrified to report the assault.

“I wanted to pretend it never happened,” Sciorra said.

Weeks after the alleged rape, Sciorra said she confronted Weinstein about what happened. He responded, “That’s what all the good Catholic girls say,” and said that it would remain between the two of them.

Sciorra also testified that Weinstein continued to harass her, including appearing at her hotel room door in 1997 in his underwear holding a bottle of baby oil and a videotape while she was promoting her movie “Cop Land.”

During cross-examination, defense attorney Donna Rotunno attempted to question the validity of Sciorra’s testimony, pointing out her inability to remember the exact date of the alleged rape and whom she had been out to dinner with that night.

Rotunno also suggested that Sciorra, as an actress, could play a part and make herself convincing to an audience.

Sciorra remained silent about her alleged experience until 2017 when other women began to come forward publicly against Weinstein.

The trial, which began on Wednesday, is part of the larger societal reckoning known as the #MeToo movement, which has led to the downfall of many powerful and wealthy men.

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