DeCoutere – one of three women complainants at Ghomeshi’s trial and the only one who can be identified – said that until Marie Henein presented it to her in court, she didn’t remember sending the email in which she expressed sexual desire for the radio star just hours after he had allegedly assaulted her.
Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page has tweeted her support for “Trailer Park Boys” star Lucy DeCoutere after a rough day at the Jian Ghomeshi sexual assault trial.
The actress says she feels bad reading that email now, because it sounds as though she was propositioning him – but she says she wasn’t.
In a handwritten letter days later she writes: “I love your hands”.
The stunning revelations at Ghomeshi’s heavily scrutinized sexual assault trial emerged Friday as the disgraced broadcaster’s defence lawyer confronted DeCoutere with numerous friendly and even fawning dispatches between the actress and the now 48-year-old Ghomeshi.
“It’s so age-old that the woman has to be this hygienic, innocent, ideal bystander in these cases that it’s getting a little time worn”, she said. DeCoutere has looked intently at Henein during questioning.
In a hand-written letter the witness sent to Ghomeshi after she returned home to Halifax five days after the alleged attack, she said she “loved spending time with” him and concluded the correspondence by saying, “I love your hands”. Ghomeshi has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
While some of the emails DeCoutere sent were sexually suggestive, she maintains that she never wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with Ghomeshi and added that she never actually slept with him.
DeCoutere was asked about several apparently flirtatious interactions she had with Ghomeshi; she testified that she wanted to regain some level of control over a frightening situation.
Ms. Henein suggested that Ms. Decoutere had failed to disclose certain information indicating that it was dishonest in relation to their friendship after the alleged incident.
As in the against-examination of the previous witness, Mr. Henein did not deny the allegations of Ms. Jian Ghomeshi Decoutere wanting to have struck.
DeCoutere said that does not mean she liked being choked.
“That still doesn’t change the fact that Mr. Ghomeshi assaulted me”, DeCoutere said.
‘Women can be assaulted and still having positive feelings for them afterward, ‘ DeCoutere testified. I felt sorry for him because he thought this was an appropriate thing to do… “I’ve done that lots of times”.
When asked to explain, DeCoutere spoke slowly and deliberately.