california governor gavin newsome. she described the communications as a requirement when dealing with someone as powerful and as connected as weinstein. the trial in l.a. follows weinstein s conviction and sentencing on rape charges in new york and amid an on going investigation in london. he is charged with rape and sexual assault of multiple women and faces decades in prison on the l.a. charges. elizabeth wagmeister is the chief correspondent at variety and co-host of the take. she was in the courtroom during the testimony and joins us now. i read a lot of the testimony. i m wondering, elizabeth, i mean, it just seems like a brutal experience to put this witness through. i don t know how the defense was getting anywhere by torturing her on the stand.