Elizabeth Holmes grilled about ex-partner and her knowledge of Theranos?s flaws

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes wept in court on Tuesday as a federal prosecutor grilled her over the nature of her relationship with Sunny Balwani, her former business and romantic partner, and her knowledge of problems at the company.

Holmes, who faces 11 counts of fraud and up to 20 years in prison over charges that she lied about the company's core blood-testing technology, had previously testified that she was emotionally and physically abused by Balwani. In Monday's testimony, she said Balwani closely controlled how she ran the business, who she spent time with, and even what she ate. Balwani, who faces his own fraud trial in 2022, has strongly denied these accusations.

Taking the stand for a fifth day, Holmes faced six hours of cross-examination from assistant US attorney Robert Leach, who questioned her over the relationship and also attempted to pick apart her assertions that she was not aware of problems with the company's signature blood testing devices.

Leach zeroed in on methods Holmes used to quash investigations into the company and underscored her role as the primary decision maker at Theranos.

"Anything that happens at the company was your responsibility at the end of the day?" Leach asked.

"That's how I felt," Holmes replied.

Although Holmes has been on the stand since 19 November, Tuesday marked the first opportunity for federal prosecutors to grill her under oath.