Actresses Salma Hayek, Rosie Perez, and Charlize Theron were in the list of the celebrities whom a judge said might be called as witnesses or could be mentioned in the testimony during the rape trial of the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein's rape trial set to begin in a few days, the case has witnessed its first hurdle recently. As per reports, officials are struggling to put together a bench of 12 jurors and six alternates, who are willing to enter the trial with a presumption of innocence, given the long list of cases against Harvey.
According to a report in New York Times, Charlize Theron and Salma Hayek are named as potential witnesses among several celebrities, including many of Weinstein's business partners and employees, among them his brother, Robert Weinstein.
However, it remains unclear if the actresses will be called in for the final hearing from a list of 90 potential witnesses.
Jurors unable to be fair towards Weinstein
Around 43 of the 120 potential jurors, on January 7, said 'they were unable to be fair or impartial towards Weinstein due to extensive media coverage'. The producer is currently facing life imprisonment with criminal charges.
Allegations against Weinstein ignited the #MeToo movement
The trial of Harvey Weinstein, 67, is one of the most-anticipated proceedings in recent years. Allegations against him helped ignite the #MeToo movement in the world. Prosecutors have charged that he raped one woman, who has not been identified in court documents, at a Midtown Manhattan hotel in March 2013 and forced oral sex on Mimi Haleyi, a production assistant, at his apartment in Manhattan in 2006.
He also faces a charge of predatory sexual assault for allegedly having committed a serious sex crime against more than one person. Yet, Weinstein maintains that his sexual encounters with the women were consensual.
