Evgeniya Chernyshova: Harvey Weinstein's LA rape case victim reveals identity, actress says 'I want my life back'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Harvey Weinstein rape victim 'Jane Doe 1' revealed her identity in an interview amid the recent conviction. Evgeniya Chernyshova, the Italian actress came forward after she remained anonymous throughout the Los Angeles rape case trial where the disgraced Hollywood producer was sentenced to a prison time of 16 years for raping the actress.
Weinstein's conviction of the crime on December 19, 2022, he was sentenced to serve his years behind bars on Thursday, February 23. Recalling the moment, the 43-year-old mother of three learned the verdict while traveling in her car with her daughter, 16, and son, 23, Chernyshova said, “I had to ask my daughter if I understood the English correctly. She’s like, ‘Why are you crying, mom? It’s good.’," according to The Hollywood Report.
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Who is Evgeniya Chernyshova?
Born in Russia, the Italian actress is known for her works in 'The Nice Guys: Meet the Nice Guys', 'Baciati dall'amore', and 'The Last in Paradise'. Chernyshova testified against the media mogul that in 2013, he raped her in his hotel room. Only her case led to Weinstein's conviction in the Los Angeles trial out of the accusations against him by three other women. In a 2020 conviction in a New York case, he is serving a 23-year sentence currently.
What led Chernyshova to reveal her identity?
Talking to the news outlet, Chernyshova shared why she has finally decided to reveal her identity after Weinstein's sentencing a day before. "I’m tired of hiding. I want my life back. I’m Evgeniya, I’ve been raped. This is my story," she said and added, "Part of me, I’m fearing for my future. But I’m proud of myself. If I continue to hide, I cannot do anything. I will just be there with my pain."
The actress broke her silence about the sexual assault that took place in 2013 in Los Angeles during Oscars week where she bumped into the former film producer. The hotel's front desk later called Chernyshova to inform her that he wanted to see her. Weinstein then stood outside her hotel room and she asked him to come in. Regretting that moment, Chernyshova said, "And that is the thing I have regretted for the last 10 years — that I did open this door.
"He just walked through me and went directly to the chair. He was like, ‘We’re just talking. There’s nothing happening. Why are you so nervous?’," she added. She then asked him to leave after she told him she was married. Recalling the incident, she recalled, "He opened his pants, and I became hysterical. I was continuing to show my kids’ pictures, to try to convince him that, ‘I have kids, please do not do that.’ But he did what he did. He assaulted me in the bedroom, and then he dragged me to the bathroom and he raped me there.” Explaining her situation afterward, she recalled, "I felt very, very dirty and like I have to die."
When did Chernyshova report her case?
Chernyshova finally decided to report her case in 2017 following a conversation she had with her daughter Maria, reported the news outlet. Maria said, "Everything pretty much started back when I came forward to my mom about the sexual assaults that I went through as a sophomore in high school."
"I told her that she would never really be able to understand me. And she told me that she does understand because she has been raped,” Maria revealed. Weeks later, they both reported their cases after they made a pact to come forward. The disgraced media mogul's history of misconduct and sexual assault was exposed by reports published by The New Yorker and The New York Times.
'This is our victory'
"The worst experience of my life," said Chernyshova while she described the day she took the stand to testify against Weinstein in the 2022 trial and also shared how the defense lawyers attempted to "harass and humiliate" the actress. Trying to see the positive side of her taking the stand to testify as Weinstein has been convicted and sentenced, Chernyshova said, "I believe all of the victims who testified. All of them. And I want to say this, this is not only my victory, this is our victory."