Rosanna Arquette has blamed the "pervasive culture of silence" for "enabling" disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein.
The movie mogul appeared in court in New York City on Monday (06.01.20) for a final status conference before jury selection begins on his sexual assault trial, where he is facing two counts of predatory sexual assault, two counts of rape and one count of criminal sex act.
And outside the Manhattan criminal court, Rosanna – who has accused Weinstein of assaulting her during a business meeting – said she hopes the 67-year-old star’s trial will lead to wider changes to the way sexual harassment is dealt with in the workplace.
In her comments, the ‘Pulp Fiction’ actress, 60, referenced the moniker of the Time’s Up organisation – the non-profit that was founded in 2018 by Hollywood celebrities to provide legal aid to victims of harassment.
Speaking to a gathering of journalists and survivors, Rosanna said: "Time’s up on sexual harassment in all workplaces. Time’s up on blaming survivors. Time’s up on empty apologies without consequences. And Time’s up on the pervasive culture of silence that has enabled abusers like Weinstein.
"These abusers that make it unsafe for women to go to work every morning, to take a business meeting, to report a crime without retaliation. We are here to ensure that the focus of this criminal case is on the perpetrator – the perpetrator’s actions and not his victims.
"And that justice is served. The truth will prevail. And whether it is this trial or in the future, Harvey will be held accountable for his actions."
The actress was joined by several other of Weinstein’s accusers – including Rose McGowan – and claimed Weinstein "wouldn’t look" at them as he walked into court.
She added: "He seemed cowardly. He wouldn’t look at us, he wouldn’t make eye contact. Nothing has changed. We weren’t screaming; we just wanted to face him and he avoided us."
Jury selection for the trial begins on Tuesday (07.01.20), and the proceedings are expected to last for six weeks.
Rosanna Arquette blames ‘culture of silence’ for Harvey Weinstein’s alleged crimes
