Harvey Weinstein Hit With New Rape Charges On the Same Day His Trial Begins In New York

On the day that his criminal case began in New York for a 2013 sexual assault, Harvey Weinstein has been charged with two additional counts of rape in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced the charges, which stem from dozens of sex crime allegations against the 67-year-old former Hollywood heavyweight.

“We believe the evidence will show that the defendant used his power and influence to gain access to his victims and then commit violent crimes against them,” she said. ”…I want to commend the victims who have come forward and bravely recounted what happened to them. It is my hope that all victims of sexual violence find strength and healing as they move forward.”

Weinstein’s rape trial in Manhattan also includes an allegation of a forced encounter with Mimi Haleyi, his former production assistant. Actress Annabella Sciorra is also expected to testify in the case, detailing the sexual assault she endured at the hands of Weinstein in 1993.

While they are not apart of the charges, three additional unidentified women are expected to testify as well, including one who claims she too was raped by Weinstein in 2005.