good night! this is "nightline." >> tonight, on trial. one courthouse, two high profile hollywood rape cases just doors apart. disgraced movie mogul harvey weinstein and actor danny masterson, five years after the dawn of the me too movement. >> it's time for there to be justice in los angeles. >> both men vehemently deny the charges. weinstein's attorney arguing it was consensual. >> they're telling the jury that these women all knew exactly what they were doing. >> weinstein's alleged victims in los angeles finally having their day in court. >> i want so much to see justice for these women. plus, hilary swank. >> good journalism is what somebody doesn't want you to know.

>> the two-time oscar winner now starring in the hit abc drama "alaska daily." >> i call my character, eileen fitzgerald, a truth seeker. >> the show tackling a real crisis, the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women. >> that is a horrible crisis that's happening and has been happening for a long time. >> not enough is being done to stop it, to prevent it. and leslie jordan. >> well, well, well. >> fans mourning the sudden death of the beloved "will & grace" star. >> "nightline" will be right back. with new chapter multi-vitamin gummies, you get so much more than just... mmm. ... more nutrients. more research and more organic ingredients. you also get less sugar and that means less candy posing as vitamins.

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thanks for joining us. tonight two different rape cases unfolding in one los angeles courthouse, representing the next chapter in the me too movement, which began five years ago this month. disgraced mogul harvey weinstein and actor danny masterson, once powerful hollywood figures, now both standing accused of raping multiple women. today prosecutors portrayed weinstein as a serial predator, while his defense team says it was consensual. in this los angeles courthouse, two cases coming out of the me too era being tried under one roof. in one courtroom, disgraced movie mogul harvey weinstein, a convicted rapist, now facing 11 more charges of rape and sexual

assault. >> it's time for there to be justice in los angeles. >> he is basically looking at life in prison. >> it's very much a different world. and it's not accepted. >> morning, danny. >> morning. >> reporter: and just steps away down the hall, danny masterson, the wisecracking best friend in "that 70s show. >> get all after-school special on me. >> reporter: also facing three counts of felony rape involving three women. it's been five years since allegations against harvey weinstein set in motion a movement that changed hollywood and the world. some women still hoping for justice. >> this is my first time being in the courtroom with harvey weinstein, and that is -- is very emotional, but i'm also very grateful that this is actually happening. >> reporter: actress and activist caitlin dulany is one of them. she is here at weinstein's second rape trial, not as a plaintiff or potential witness, but as she says a survivor, supporting other survivors.

dulany alleges weinstein raped her in 1996. >> my emotions are going all over the place. and some of it feels so familiar to me that i go into shock a little bit. but i want to be here. i want to be here for the women. >> reporter: dulany is one of more than 90 women who have publicly accused the former hollywood king maker of sexual misconduct. others include actresses like rose mcgowan. >> i thought he was a warthog from hell. >> and ashley judd. >> i thought no meant no. >> reporter: today's rape sexual assault charges stem from incidents in 2004 and 2013 in los angeles and involve five different women, including jennifer siebel newsom, the wife of california governor gavin newsom. >> jane doe number 4 has publicly been revealed as jennifer siebel newsom who is an actress and a filmmaker. she alleged that harvey weinstein had assaulted her, that he raped her in 2005 in a hotel room in los angeles and

that they had initially met at a film festival prior to that meeting. >> reporter: attorney gloria allred has long been a champion of women's rights. >> some people say gloria, he has already been convicted in new york and sentenced for 23 years. what's the point of having him prosecuted again in los angeles. my answer to that is very simple. many of the witnesses were jane does have not had their day in court. >> reporter: she represents two of weinstein's alleged victims in the l.a. case. among them, lauren young, who claims weinstein sexually assaulted her in a beverly hills hotel in 2013 days before the oscars. >> this is not just about harvey weinstein. it's also about justice for persons who allege that they are victims. they will be subjected to a very vigorous cross-examination, but they're willing to endure that for the cause of justice. >> reporter: during opening statements in a packed courtroom, prosecutors quoting

in graphic detail allegations made by some of the accusers, including masturbation and oral rape, saying part of me was thinking should i just make a run for it? but he is a big guy. i told him to stop. i told him to leave the bathroom, and he didn't. he just kept going towards me. in their opening statement, weinstein's defense attorney pointed to the lack of forensic evidence, saying this case is based upon emotion, not facts. he also claimed that any sex was consensual, saying the accusers have to lie to themselves to make what they did consensually back then seem like it was forced upon them. >> the defense and the prosecution are painting wildly different pictures of harvey weinstein. like all sexual assault cases, this is going to be a case largely of he said/she said, because we know in many sexual assault cases, there is not a lot of forensic evidence when you're behind closed doors. >> reporter: jane doe number one also testified today, sobbing on the stand, describing the night she says she was sexually

assaulted, saying she was crying, panicking, and choking. weinstein has pleaded not guilty and continues to maintain his innocence. once one of the most powerful men in hollywood, two and a half years ago, weinstein was found guilty of rape in the third-degree and criminal sexual assault in the first degree. weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison. but recently, a new york judge agreed to hear his appeal after learning a juror was writing a book about predatory older men, opening the door for the conviction to possibly be overturned. >> it's always a concern when the highest court in the state decides to hear the appeal of a defendant. we don't know that if they will reverse the conviction or affirm the conviction. >> if harvey weinstein can beat that, all eyes are focused on l.a., because if he is no longer in jail for that, he could potentially be free with this new trial. >> meanwhile, a few doors down another me too courtroom drama playing out.

danny masterson's accusers also having their day in court. he is being tried for three counts of felony rape. >> right now there is a frenzy of me too trials that are occurring in hollywood. this is a complete coincidence that both of these trials are playing out in the same courtroom on the same floor at the same time, but it does signal how many of these cases did occur in hollywood, and also, the slow fight for progress when it comes to the legal system. >> reporter: the charges stem from three women who accused him of assaulting them in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003 while they were all members of the church of scientology. at the time of the accusations in the early 2000s, danny masterson was at the height of his fame and one of the most visible celebrity scientologists. and while the church is not on trial today, it will be a part of the case.

when arrested and charged in 2020, masterson pleaded not guilty, maintaining that the sex was consensual. if convicted on all charges, he could face 45 years to life in prison. >> five years after the me too movement, things have completely changed in hollywood. there is no more casting couch that is seen to be accepted. even small things like closed-door meetings aren't really happening anymore. i think that people are very much put on notice, they're more mindful of their behavior. >> reporter: weinstein has been in custody since the end of february 2020. first at the infamous rikers island in new york. later at a state prison before being transferred to los angeles for this trial. >> so he is currently serving his 23-year sentence. regardless of what happens in this current trial in los angeles, he will have to finish the remainder of that sentence in new york. >> there she is. >> how you? >> good to see you. >> reporter: when weinstein was convicted, many of his accusers felt their voices were finally heard.

>> you told a lot of people. were you scared? >> reporter: caitlin dulany was following the first weinstein trial from los angeles. we filmed with her and three other weinstein accusers after the verdict. >> mixed bag. again, it's the anticipation, like the anticipation of the verdict. it's the anticipation of the sentence. >> reporter: the "criminal minds" actress alleges weinstein took his clothes off in her apartment in 1996, and three months later raped her while they were attending the cannes film festival. >> i was oh my god, oh my god, i couldn't believe that it was happening. i really couldn't believe it was happening. this part never getting any easier. because it stays with you. >> reporter: caitlin and the other survivors have formed a sisterhood of sorts, dubbing themselves the silence-breakers, forever bonded by dogged determination.

>> there is a deep love and empathy and compassion, which i think is what the me too movement is about. other survivors supporting each other. it's actually this beautiful, powerful thing in all offer of our lives. up next, hilary swank on her new hit show "alaska daily." i'm lindsey vonn, and ever since i retired from skiing, i've had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. you know, insomnia. before i found quviviq, an fda-approved insomnia medication for adults. you would not believe the things i used to think about when i couldn't sleep. hey, linds. i need you to sign this business contract. all 114 pages. lindsey, lindsey!! hey, lindsey! it's workout time. hey, big man, we're in the middle of something here. yeah, it's called physical fitness. just a couple dozen more questions, lindsey. don't forget to pack your phone charger for tomorrow morning's flight. it's plugged in right over there.

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oscar winner hilary swank portrays a big-time new york reporter forced to take a job at a small daily newspaper.

it's the new show "alaska daily" on abc, and it's not the only new role the actress is taking on. here is abc's will reeve. you're watching investigative reporters get to the truth, get to the heart of the matter. >> good journalism is what somebody doesn't want you to know. >> reporter: "alaska daily" is abc's new hit drama starring hilary swank. it follows a big-shot new york reporter as she faces the challenges of a local newsroom. >> we're going break this story. >> reporter: the show's plot tackles the real-life issues facing alaska's indigenous peoples who face some of the highest rates of violence in the country. >> it's a story about how the missing and murdered indigenous women crisis is being largely ignored. >> i call my character eileen fitzgerald a truth seeker. and i feel like as an actor, that's what i am too. if you look at the trajectory of the choices i've made in my career, a lot of them are true stories. >> wow. >> reporter: those choices have earned swank two oscars for best actress. first for playing a trans man in

the film "boys don't cry." in 2000. >> why don't you leave the lady alone? i don't want any trouble here. >> reporter: and then again as a tragic boxer in "million dollar baby" in 2005. >> don't you say that if it ain't true. >> reporter: her characters often intense and passionate. >> a lot of them are about underdogs, you know, underserved. i'm definitely drawn to that. >> reporter: "alaska daily" co-creators peter elkoff and tom mccarthy say swank was the perfect fit to play their lead. >> i was writing this character of eileen fitzgerald, and just kept thinking about her. there is something about her intensity, her strength. >> reporter: what has the experience been like to see how she inhabits the character that you created? >> the thing about hilary is that, you know, she can do the facial expression, what it takes other actors to do with lots of dialogue. >> reporter: swank's onscreen partner, local reporter roz played by indigenous actress

grace dove, two reporters investigating cold cases in search of one truth, what is happening to so many alaska natives. >> even if we figure out what happened, no one is going to do anything about it. not the cops, not the courts, not the politicians. >> then we report on that. >> reporter: tom mccarthy is no stranger to a newsroom. >> spotlight. >> reporter: he won the academy award for best original screenplay for the investigative journalism film "spotlight." >> do you think your paper has the resources to take that on? >> i do. >> reporter: "alaska daily" is a culmination of his previous work, a love letter to the world of journalism. what draws you to stories of investigative journalism? >> with "spotlight," i think we had the chance to really examine one case. it was very much a procedural. we didn't have a lot of real estate to get into the personal lives of the journalists and really get an understanding of who these people are and what makes them tick. i think after that film, the idea was always in my brain. when i thought of the kind of setup for the show, that's something i wanted to explore. take the time not just to explore the work they do, but who are these people.

>> you know, i have a source on the board of the alaska investment fund. i can check with him, see what's up. >> you guys are good together. >> who? >> you make a great team. >> i'm going to go make that call. >> cool. thanks. >> reporter: while fictional, the show is inspired by newsrooms across the country, with local paper at the forefront. a report published by the "anchorage daily news" team titled "lawless" caught tom mccarthy's attention. >> it's a long-term investigation into systemic and institutional challenges in alaska. specifically focused on violence and sexual violence toward alaska native women. >> that is a horrible crisis that's happening and has been happening for a long time. that, you know, a lot of people don't actually even know about, and no one is doing anything about. >> reporter: a 2016 study found that over 80% of american indian and alaska native women and men have experienced violence in their lifetimes. and in that same year, the national crime information

center logged over 5700 reports of missing native women and girls. >> i think what we're sort of getting at is not enough is being done to stop it to prevent it. although the focus of the show is on local journalism, how important it is to communities around the country, we felt like we had to highlight this issue. >> along the way, we've met people, you know, day players who's one man said his mom had gone missing five years ago and nothing was ever done. they don't know what happened. and this is not okay. there is nothing okay about any of this. >> reporter: these real-life issues documented in the "anchorage daily news" report were investigated by kyle hopkins, who has been with the paper for 18 years. >> our feeling was that there had been these generations of broken promises and these generations of like creating this two-tiered system, this two-tiered justice system that didn't have to be that way. and we shouldn't just accept it as being just because we're in alaska, that we should have lesser justice on it.

that's not okay. >> reporter: hopkins was even brought on as a co-executive producer for "alaska daily" for his expertise, and spent time showing the hollywood crew the ropes. >> they would come in and our newsroom. and so it's strange to have people come in and photograph everything and photograph the table with the puzzle on it. it's just very much a working newsroom. and they're very interested in the clothes we wear, which is like they thought a lot more about the clothes that we wear than we do i think when we are getting dressed. this is not a fashionable newsroom. >> reporter: and offset some great news for the star. >> the news is out. expecting twins. what does that feel like to share with the world? >> it's great to finally be able to share it. you go through waves of it hitting you. and then your body starts to change, oh, yeah, this is really happening. >> our thanks to will. and coming up, leslie jordan. fans and friends paying tribute to the "will & grace" scene

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and finally tonight, leslie

jordan is being honored by co-stars, friends, and fans. the pint-sized actor with oversized talent appeared most recently in -- >> i don't know what is going on, something deep inside of me said we were meant to be together. >> "call me kat." >> and american horror. >> i wish i had a handsome man visit me at work. >> well, well, well. shall we dance? >> i'd love to. hop on my feet. >> his big break came with "will & grace," winning an emmy for the role. jordan's co-stars express their admiration and heartbreak under over his unexpected death. megan mullally writing on instagram, "leslie jordan was hands down one of the greats. there will never, ever be another you." beyond tv star jordan became a social media sensation during the pandemic.

>> yesterday we used the back scratcher to great effect. today we're going to make the back scratcher a baton. >> leslie jordan died in a car crash today. he was 67. rest in peace. that's "nightline." you can watch all of our episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america. you right same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america.