in Weinstein’s New York trial in 2020, took the stand in the already-convicted rapist’s criminal trial in Los Angeles last Friday with her testimony continuing through Monday. In New York, she was called by the prosecution as a “prior bad acts” uncharged witness, but in the current trial, her allegations carry a charge of sexual battery by restraint.
Young testified that she was cornered in a hotel bathroom by Weinstein, who unzipped her dress and assaulted her, against her will, as she was saying, “No, no, no.” Young said that Weinstein abruptly got naked, jumped in a shower and blocked her from exiting through the door, as he was masturbating and grabbing for her breast. She testified that Weinstein then tried to grab her vagina, but she used her hands as a shield to block him from penetrating her, as he shoved his hands underneath her dress.
Young said she backed up toward the sink to try to get away from Weinstein, but he kept talking to her and rambling, as if nothing was wrong. “He said, ‘It’s okay, we’re just going to talk,'” and then told her that other actresses do this and “this is how I know you can act.” Young said Weinstein ignored her saying “no,” and proceeded to finish and then ejaculated onto a towel on the bathroom floor. She recalls reaching for the door in the bathroom, but Weinstein was in the way. She remembers thinking, “How am I going to get out of here safely?”
Young never saw Weinstein again. But the day after the alleged assault in 2013, an executive from The Weinstein Company, Barbara Schneeweiss, had called Young into their offices for a meeting. Young told the jury that she showed up to that meeting with Schneeweiss due to of “fear of retaliation” because after Weinstein had assaulted her, she alleged, she thought he might call her agency and tell them to drop her. “I didn’t know if not going [to the meeting] would be worse,” Young said.