Harvey Weinstein lawyer blames women in closing arguments: ‘In their universe, women are not responsible for the men they flirt with’

‘Harvey thanks you,’ attorney Donna Rotunno tells jury

Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer today accused prosecutors of creating a world where “women are not responsible” for their actions as the mogul’s criminal trial drew to a close.

Donna Rotunno, a key member of Weinstein’s defence team, addressed the jury on Thursday while delivering her closing arguments.

“Harvey thanks you,” she told the jury of seven men and five women who will decide on whether to acquit or convict the producer, reminding them that his fate now rests in their hands.

Rotunno told the jurors that the prosecution “wove a sinister tale of a man who searched out his victims by putting them through a series of tests” but insisted that the narrative was not supported by evidence.

“The irony is that they are the producers and they are writing the script,” Rotunno said of the prosecution, adding, according to Variety: “In their universe, women are not responsible for the parties they attend, the men they flirt with, the hotel room invitations, the plane tickets they expect, the jobs they hope to obtain. In this universe, they aren’t even responsible for sitting at their computers and emailing someone across the country.”

Rotunno urged jurors to ignore “outside forces” and use their “New York City common sense” as they weigh the case.

“You don’t have to like Mr Weinstein,” she told them. “This is not a popularity contest.”

Weinstein is charged with raping a woman in 2013 and performing a forcible sex act on another woman in 2006. He has pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.

The prosecution is expected to deliver its own closing arguments on Friday.

Next week, the jury will hear instructions from Judge James Burke and begin deliberations.

Additional reporting by agencies