NEW YORK (AP) — Friends of one of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers testified Thursday that the woman told them long ago that Weinstein sexually assaulted her.
Adding a new perspective to the ex-movie mogul’s retrial, one witness said she’d once suggested that accuser Miriam Haley date the movie mogul, but Haley balked.
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Attorney Diana Fabi Samson arrives for Harvey Weinstein's retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Attornesy Diana Fabi Samson and Arthur Aidala speak outside Harvey Weinstein's retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (Spencer Platt/Pool Photo via AP)
Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (Spencer Platt/Pool Photo via AP)
“She had zero interest in dating him or sleeping with him,” witness Christine Pressman said, describing Haley as “distraught” when she later disclosed the alleged sexual assault.
Some of the emerging details show how this trial is a reprise — but not an exact repeat — of the 2020 trial in which Weinstein was initially convicted of rape and sexual assault. That conviction has since been overturned.
Pressman didn't testify at the original trial. Prosecutors brought her in this time to support Haley's allegations, but Weinstein's lawyers quizzed her about whether Haley in fact had a willing sexual relationship with the Oscar-winning studio boss.
“Never,” Pressman insisted.
Haley is a former production assistant on the Weinstein-produced television show “Project Runway.”
Weinstein, 73, maintains that he has never sexually assaulted or raped anyone. His lawyers argue that his accusers agreed to sexual encounters with the Oscar-winning producer in hopes of getting ahead in the entertainment business.
Weinstein was transformed in 2017 from a Hollywood tycoon into a #MeToo movement villain after a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him became public.
He was convicted in 2020 of raping Jessica Mann, who was once an aspiring actor, and forcing oral sex on Haley. New York’s highest court threw out the conviction last year, finding that the original trial judge had allowed prejudicial testimony.
The retrial includes an additional allegation of forcible oral sex on a different woman, former model Kaja Sokola. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
None of the accusers has testified yet, but two of Haley's friends took the stand Thursday to attest that she told them about the alleged July 2006 sexual assault around that time.
Elizabeth Entin, Haley's former roommate, said a shaken Haley told her that month that Weinstein had forcibly performed oral sex on her. Echoing her testimony at the first trial, Entin said she suggested Haley call a lawyer, but her friend seemed disinclined.
Pressman, however, said she advised against turning to police when the Finnish-born Haley made a similar disclosure to her in August or September of 2006.
“I said, ‘Harvey Weinstein is the king of New York. He’s extremely powerful. You are not. You’re here on a tourist visa. Just let it go,’” the former model, musician and actor recalled. She teared up as she added that she now knows her guidance “was wrong.”
Under questioning from Weinstein lawyer Jennifer Bonjean, Pressman acknowledged that at some point before the alleged assault, she suggested Haley date Weinstein. Pressman later explained that she'd been frustrated by her friend's taste in men — guys who were lanky, cerebral “and broke,” as Pressman put it.
Haley rejected the notion of dating Weinstein, she said. But Bonjean went on to ask whether Pressman knew that Haley “had consensual sex with Mr. Weinstein.” Pressman said her friend did no such thing.
Haley testified at the original trial that she said “no, no, no” during the alleged assault. A few weeks later, she didn’t protest when Weinstein pulled her toward a bed and had sex with her, she said, explaining that she simply “went numb.”
After jurors left for the day, Weinstein's lawyers sought a mistrial, saying Pressman's testimony was prejudicial. They were turned down by Judge Curtis Farber, who's now overseeing the case.
While there are many similarities to the first trial, there also stand to be plenty of changes.
Entin found herself answering questions about what she has said and written about the first trial itself, such as describing her participation as her “15 minutes of fame.” Entin said it was a joke.
And she wasn’t asked about a recollection that made for a memorable and rare light moment at the first trial — a time when she said Weinstein showed up uninvited to the apartment she shared with Haley and was chased around by Entin’s pet Chihuahua.
Farber had indicated he didn’t think having Entin describe the purported episode was fair game for the trial.
The Associated Press does not identify people who allege they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to be named. Haley, Mann and Sokola have done so.
Attorney Diana Fabi Samson arrives for Harvey Weinstein's retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Attornesy Diana Fabi Samson and Arthur Aidala speak outside Harvey Weinstein's retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (Spencer Platt/Pool Photo via AP)
Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in New York. (Spencer Platt/Pool Photo via AP)
A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.
In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.
Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.
“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.
Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.
At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.
“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”
Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.
Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.
This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.
Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.
“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.
The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.
Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.
“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”
In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.
He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.
“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”
After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.
“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.
Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.
“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.
But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.
Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.
Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.
“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”
On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.
“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”
Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.
“Today is my peaceful day.”
Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," get lunch Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Aloka rests with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
A sign is seen greeting the Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Supporters pray with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Supporters watch Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
A Buddhist monk ties a prayer bracelet around the wrist of Josey Lee, 2-months-old, during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Bhikkhu Pannakara leads other buddhist monks in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Audrie Pearce greets Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," arrive in Saluda, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," are seen with their dog, Aloka, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
