Gigi Hadid likely to serve as juror in upcoming Harvey Weinstein sexual assault trial in New York
Gigi Hadid is most likely a potential candidate for the list of jurors in the upcoming Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault trial in New York.
The 24-year-old model and face of brands aplenty was called to the Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday as one of the 120 other potential jurors set to be seated in the trial for the defamed media mogul, revealed CNN. She reportedly told the judge that while she had met Weinstein in the past, “I think I’m still able to keep an open mind on the facts,” shared Buzzfeed News.
According to CNN, Hadid was one of the 35 people remaining as potential jurors all of whom were asked to fill out a questionnaire and return to court on Thursday. This comes after Hadid revealed on her Instagram story just last week that she had been summoned for jury duty and was 'excited' at the opportunity - as revealed by a screenshot grabbed by the outlet Just Jared. “This week a dream came true,” Hadid reportedly wrote on Instagram on January 5. “I’ve been summoned for jury duty, y’all.” She added: "I’d like to thank the state of New York. My mom and @vesperw seemed concerned by my genuine excitement… I realize it will prob suck. Let me dream.”
The criminal trial accusing Weinstein of multiple sexual assaults opened the Weinstein’s criminal trial opened last Monday in Manhattan, and once the jury lection is complete, the trial could last up to two months. Shockingly, even though Weinstein was accused by more than 80 women who came forwards with their harrowing accounts of sexual abuse at the hands of the disgraced producer, he faces only two counts of rape, one count of criminal sexual act and two counts of predatory sexual assault, based on the accusations of only two women, according to The Washington Post.
If convicted, Weinstein faces a sentence to life in prison. So far, he has steadily denied the allegations against him and had previously also pleaded not guilty to the New York charges. As the New York trial opened, newer sex crime charges have also been brought up against Weinstein in California. These new charges accused Weinstein of raping one woman and sexually assaulting another one in separate incidents through a two-day period back in 2013, reveals a news release by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The trial comes more than two years after the explosive investigations against Weinstein were published in October 2017, one by the New York Times and another published from the New Yorker, both of which involved dozens of women accusing him of sexually assaulting them. Among the big names in the industry who spoke out against Weinstein are Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan, Annabella Sciorra, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, and Daryl Hannah.