Love & Hip Hop New York’s Mendeecees Harris got to tell his side of the story in court. The Harlem native is on trial for allegedly abusing a 15-year-old girl four years ago in the Lodi, New Jersey home he lived in with her mother. Today, he was on the witness stand and his testimony consisted of denials and suspect financial choices.
Harris denied all the accusations the now 19-year-old woman’s leveled at him that include receiving oral s-x from her in exchange for cash. In the courtroom, while Harris denied having any innappropriate contact with the accuser, was his girlfriend and reality TV show cast mate Yandy Smith.
The Cliff View Pilot reports:
“No. No way. No, no,” he said as his attorney, Brian Neary, asked Harris whether he was guilty of any of the charges against him.
“I never had a relationship with her, she never extended herself,” said Harris, taking the stand in his own defense. “She didn’t play basketball, she didn’t play Playstation, didn’t want to go to the movies.
“She always walked around the house like she had an attitude,” he said.
“That’s the truth – never, never – I never committed none of them acts to that girl in my life.”
Harris also went through great pains during two hours of morning testimony to dispel any impression of himself as being casual about sex.
Questioned first by Neary and then by Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Demetra Maurice, Harris outlined relationships with three different women:
the mother of Mendeecee Harris Jr., his young son;
the victim’s mother, whom he testified he knew “from the streets in Harlem” and lived with in both Hackensack and Lodi;
fellow “Love & Hip Hop” star, producer Yandy Smith, whom he began seeing romantically in the spring of 2009 and had a baby son with in 2011.
Smith was among those who listened intently as Harris testified in the Hackensack courtroom.
Apparently Smith has been in the court room for the entire trial, with her entourage covering her face to avoid cameras as she comes and goes.
As for Harris’ testimony, he refuted all of the accusations laid against him. He also added that he was living in Lodi to avoid losing a down payment on the home after learning his name wasn’t on the deed, despite paying all the bills.
Say what now?
He also claims that he and woman he was living with in Lodi and Hackensack (the victim’s mother) were just friends. The victim did not morve into the home until Harris and his friend were already residing there for three years.
Harris was not required to testify, but after the victim’s turn on the stand the last couple of days, it was very necessary. He said on the stand, “It was very hurtful to me to hear that, and I felt if I didn’t testify my side of the story would never be heard.”
NorthJersey.com also reports that Harris revealed he is getting paid $4000 per episode of Love & Hip Hop.
The State’s rested it case this afternoon. Check out photos of Mendeecees Harris and Yandy Smith in courtroom in the gallery.
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Photos: Mary K. Miraglia/Cliff View Pilot
