Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial has been as riveting as any Hollywood script — with a parade of witnesses either backing or burying the fallen king of Tinseltown appearing in his Manhattan courtroom over the past few weeks.
But despite the boldfaced names and roller-coaster testimony, the jury set to decide his fate has remained particularly stoic — giving little indication which way they will lean after closing arguments wrap this week and deliberations begin.
Practically the only time the panelists gave any discernible visceral reactions — amid graphic and impassioned testimony from accusers — was when they were instructed to look at photographs of Weinstein’s nude body.
The jury includes 7 men and 5 women.
Interactions among jurors have seemed friendly, with some eating lunch together at Forlini’s, an Italian restaurant behind the courthouse popular with judges and lawyers.
Others were spotted sharing candy after the defense called its first witness Thursday, Weinstein pal Paul Feldsher — whose testimony backfired in spectacular fashion when he called the disgraced producer a “sex addict” and his accusers “a dog pile of actresses.”
The panel, which includes a novelist, a banker and a security guard, laughed heartily as Assistant DA Joan Illuzzi-Orbon cross-examined Feldsher and he desperately tried to backpedal.
The jurors have been generally attentive, aside from one sleepy member, and another who was rebuked for chatting with another panelist.
Weinstein, too, has struggled to keep his eyes open in court, aggressively chomping on Mentos when he wasn’t snoozing away behind the defense table.
Then again, there’s hardly been a sympathetic face in the room for him to look to.
Weinstein’s once expansive A-list circle has contracted considerably since his tumble from the top — and few supporters have shown up to watch.
The two gallery rows normally reserved for the defendant’s friends and family have been mostly occupied by Weinstein’s legal platoon. His lead attorney, Donna Rotunno, has hosted her mother, sister and friends in the seats. From time to time, Weinstein’s best friend, retired doctor Bill Currao, has accompanied him to court and watched the proceedings.
“I go in when Harvey asks me to come in,” he said. “He’s been my friend for 50 years. We were college roommates.”
On the other side of the aisle, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has appeared almost daily, often wearing a tense expression, as he watches the trial that could shift the balance of his uneven legacy.
Serving as a stylish counterpoint to her client’s often rumpled appearance, Rotunno’s designer ensembles have sparked spirited discussions in the gallery, with spectators wondering whether she benefits from a stylist. She declined to comment.
Observers gushed over her $1,592 Victoria Beckham snakeskin-print skirt during one appearance and a $1,890 Ferragamo belted silk dress on another.
During an hours-long cross-examination of rape accuser Jessica Mann, Rotunno teetered on an impractical pair of Jimmy Choo stilettos.
Mann broke down on the stand as she described in excruciating detail how Weinstein allegedly raped her in a DoubleTree Hotel March 18, 2013.
But under Rotunno’s cross-examination, she admitted that she continued a consensual sexual relationship with him for years — even texting him in 2017 “I hate feeling like a booty call ;).”
One particularly chatty juror was softly admonished by the judge during Mann’s cross-examination for whispering to another panelist. “Juror No. 3, you cannot talk to the other jurors,” Justice James Burke told him.
“Sorry,” the male juror replied.
At the end of the day, after the jury had been excused, Rotunno kicked off the pointy-toed pumps and briefly approached the judge in her black stockings.
A slew of experts and bevy of Weinstein’s former and current gal pals have taken the stand to paint him alternatively as a monster and misguided mogul.
The prosecution called 28 witnesses over two weeks while the defense called seven.
Weinstein, 67, faces two counts of predatory sexual assault, two counts of rape and one count of criminal sexual act stemming from the allegations of Mann, former “Project Runway” production assistant Miriam “Mimi” Haleyi and “The Sopranos” actress Annabella Sciorra.
If convicted of the top count, he faces up to life in prison.
“I don’t think he’s guilty,” said Currao. “But if he’s found guilty, I’ll still stick by him.”
Closings are set to begin Thursday.
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