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NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Harvey Weinstein 鈥檚 lawyers got their turn Thursday to question a woman who alleges the one-time Hollywood heavyweight held her down on a bed and forced oral sex on her nearly two decades ago.

Miriam Haley, testifying for a third day at Weinstein鈥檚 retrial, was grilled about her decision to hire a lawyer and go public with her allegations as the #MeToo movement exploded in October 2017.

Defense attorney Jennifer Bonjean sparred with Haley over the details of her early statements to the press about the alleged assault, getting her to admit that she didn’t give interviewers back then a full picture of her relationship with Weinstein.

Haley denied Bonjean鈥檚 suggestion that she went public in hopes of suing Weinstein, but acknowledged she later filed a lawsuit and received a settlement of about $475,000.

Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty and denies sexually assaulting anyone. His lawyers have argued that all of his accusers consented to sexual encounters with him in hopes of getting work in show business.

Haley, the first of three accusers expected to testify, said Wednesday that she maintained contact with Weinstein for more than a year after the alleged assault she says happened at his Manhattan apartment in July 2006.

Haley testified that she flew to Los Angeles on Weinstein鈥檚 dime a day after the alleged assault, and a few weeks later agreed to meet him at a Manhattan hotel. She said she had expected to talk in the lobby, but was instead directed to his room, where he pulled her into bed for sex.

Even after that, Haley testified, she kept in touch 鈥� sometimes calling Weinstein and sending emails signed 鈥淟ots of love鈥� to him and his assistant over the next few months and years. She insisted she was looking for professional opportunity and was never interested in a romantic or sexual relationship with him.

Bonjean pointed out Thursday that when Haley went public, she didn鈥檛 mention her subsequent sexual encounter with Weinstein, nor their continued contact.

鈥淵ou told the press only part of the story, correct?鈥� Bonjean asked.

鈥淚 told the part that was relevant to what I was trying to share,鈥� Haley said.

Bonjean noted that Haley didn’t report her allegations to police until June 2018, but held a press conference with lawyer Gloria Allred just days after she first saw media reports about other women accusing Weinstein of wrongdoing.

Bonjean asked if Haley had been 鈥渢rying to send a message to鈥� Weinstein.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 really thinking about Mr. Weinstein in that press conference,鈥� Haley responded, adding that she spoke out to support other accusers who had also done so.

Bonjean will step away from Weinstein鈥檚 defense team after she finishes questioning Haley. Another case Bonjean is working on is going to trial in Brooklyn next week.

On Wednesday, under questioning by a prosecutor, Haley recalled the alleged 2006 assault as a friendly, professional meeting at Weinstein鈥檚 apartment that he turned into 鈥渢he unthinkable.鈥� She said he ignored her pleas of: 鈥淣o, no 鈥� it鈥檚 not going to happen.鈥�

Afterward, she felt shocked, disgusted and humiliated. She and two of her friends testified that she soon told them that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her.

Haley, who has also gone by the name Mimi Haleyi, is the first of Weinstein鈥檚 accusers to testify at his rape retrial. She is reprising her testimony from his first trial in 2020 after his conviction was overturned last year, albeit with some details that weren鈥檛 heard before.

On Wednesday, she recalled Weinstein had asked her, 鈥淒on鈥檛 you think we鈥檙e much closer now?鈥� after either the alleged assault or a subsequent occasion when she says she had unwanted, but not forced, sex with him.

Haley was briefly a production assistant on the Weinstein-produced 鈥淧roject Runway鈥� and had a series of interactions with him that were sometimes inappropriate and suggestive, but other times professional and polite, she told jurors.

Weinstein鈥檚 retrial includes charges related to Haley and another accuser from the original trial, Jessica Mann. Mann alleges that Weinstein raped her in 2013. He鈥檚 also being tried, for the first time, on an allegation of forcing oral sex on former model Kaja Sokola in 2006.

Mann and Sokola also are expected to testify.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who allege they have been sexually assaulted unless they give permission for their names to be used. Haley, Mann and Sokola have done so.