Model Gigi Hadid was revealed on Monday to be one of the potential jurors at the rape trial of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein now under way in New York.
As lawyers for Weinstein and his accusers continue to winnow down a pool of more than a hundred potential jurors, Hadid was seen in the long line of potential jurors filing into the courtroom in Manhattan on Monday morning.
Sitting in the jury box, Hadid told James Burke, the judge, that she had met the defendant and she knew Salma Hayek, an actor who has accused Weinstein of sexual harassment and aggression when she rebuffed his advances. Hadid is also known to be a friend of Cara Delevingne, who also has gone public with accusations of sexual harassment against Weinstein and talked about the #MeToo movement.
When Burke asked Hadid if she could be an impartial juror, she said: “I think I’m still able to keep an open mind on the facts.”
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to five counts that include raping a woman in 2013 and forcing another woman to engage in oral sexual conduct in 2006. The most serious charge is predatory sexual assault, carrying a maximum sentence of life.
Hadid’s appearance is the latest controversy in the high-profile trial that is still in its early stages.
Last week, Burke blasted Weinstein for using his cellphone in the courtroom, threatening to revoke his bail if he does not behave and, outside, activists staged a protest, following a silent demonstration by other famous women accusing the producer that took place when the trial began a week ago.
Forty jurors were dismissed from the trial last week. Burke said he hopes to have a jury set by next week. The case continues.
