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Harvey Weinstein lawyer clashes with Gloria Allred outside court for trying to 'silence her'

Gloria Allred tried to speak to the press at the same time as Harvey Weinstein's lawyers: AP
Gloria Allred tried to speak to the press at the same time as Harvey Weinstein's lawyers: AP

Celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred has clashed with lawyers for Harvey Weinstein on the streets of New York, accusing them of trying to “silence” her.

After a court returned a guilty verdict on two of the charges against the 67-year-old disgraced mogul, lawyers for both sides sought to speak to address the media outside the courthouse in Manhattan.

Yet as Ms Allred, 78, sought to speak to reporters about the case, and a separate prosecution of Weinstein in Los Angeles, she came face to face with Weinstein’s legal team, headed by Donna Rotunno.

One of Ms Rotunno’s male colleagues, Arthur Aidala, said to the waiting press: “You’ll have to choose between Gloria and the defence team”.

At that point, Ms Allred said: “You won’t silence me again.”

She said: “I just heard [Weinstein’s] attorney said that he was shocked, that he was surprised by the verdict. Well, he shouldn’t have been surprised.

“If you do to women what you did, you shouldn’t be surprised. You shouldn’t be shocked, you should’ve been prepared for this.“

She added: It’s no longer business as usual in America. This is the age of empowerment of women and you cannot intimidate them anymore.”

The veteran lawyer then said she would be heading to Los Angeles, where additional sexual assault charges were filed against Weinstein, hours after his New York trial began on January 6. Dozens of women have also filed civil lawsuits against him.

Ms Allred represents Mimi Haleyi, one of the two women Weinstein was found guilty of attacking. She also represents Annabella Sciorra and Lauren Marie Young.

“I look forward to seeing [him] in Los Angeles after the sentencing as he attempted to defend himself on the criminal charges he faces there,” she said. “This case will continue.”

Weinstein was found guilty of sexually assaulting former production assistant Ms Haleyi in 2006 and raping Ms Mann, a onetime aspiring actress, in 2013. He was found not guilty of the most serious charges, which could have resulted in life in prison.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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