A previous fashion model alleges she was victimized by sexual assault at the age of 16.
Rewritten Article:
New York City — In tears, a former aspiring actress, Kaja Sokola, testified under oath on Thursday, asserting that Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her when she was just 16 years old in 2002. She recalled it as the worst event of her life.
Sokola claimed Weinstein slipped his hand under her underwear and forced her to touch his genitalia in a Manhattan apartment during that fateful encounter. She vividly remembered the "intimidating" expression in Weinstein's "black eyes" reflected in the bathroom mirror.
Afterwards, Sokola recalled, Weinstein advised her to keep mum about the incident, promising he had made stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Penelope Cruz and would help her excel in the film industry.
Referring to the encounter, Sokola said, "I had never experienced anything like that before. I felt embarrassed, confused, and like it was all my fault."
The alleged assault is not part of the current charges against Weinstein as the statute of limitations had expired. However, Sokola is testifying in this latest trial as Weinstein is being accused of forcing her to perform oral sex on him in a Manhattan hotel in 2006, when she was 20. Sokola reportLY informed the authorities a few days after the start of Weinstein's initial trial in 2020, although she was not involved in that case. Prosecutors added her to the current trial following Weinstein's conviction reversal last year.
During her testimony, Weinstein, now 73, scrutinized Sokola with a piercing glance and pressed an index finger and thumb against his face like a shield.
Sokola had initially met Weinstein at a Manhattan restaurant in 2002. She recalled his casual suggestion that she should become an actress.
Few days later, Sokola declared, Weinstein invited her to lunch but steered her into an apartment, a bedroom, then a bathroom, ordered her to disrobe, and assaulted her. "He told me to take off my clothes, but I was apprehensive. I was panicking," Sokola testified. "Then he said that, if I wanted to be an actress, that's what actors did in movies, so I should get used to it. If a director told me to take off my clothes, I had to take off my clothes. I was scared. I was scared of him."
An Additional Accuser emerges
Averting her gaze to avoid eye contact with Weinstein, Sokola reluctantly approached the witness stand. She cast a brief, fleeting glance at Weinstein during her testimony on Thursday.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and insisted he did not sexually assault anyone.
Defense attorneys for Weinstein argue that his accusers willingly engaged in sexual activities with him in the hope of securing roles in film and television. They also pointed out that the women interacted with him for a significant period following the alleged assaults. The women, however, assert that Weinstein exploited the entertainment industry's promise of employment to take advantage of them.
Sokola pursued legal action against Weinstein when Hollywood gossip about his abusive behavior towards women escalated into a barrage of public accusations in 2017, contributing to the #MeToo movement, a movement aimed at drawing attention to and combating sexual misconduct. Prosecutors claimed that Sokola eventually received a settlement of $3.5 million.
Investigations into Sokola's allegations commenced in 2020, but were discontinued following Weinstein's conviction. The investigation was reopened after New York's highest court overturned Weinstein's conviction.
Weinstein's legal team unsuccessfully attempted to keep Sokola from participating in the trial, claiming the prosecutors were introducing an additional, veiled charge to boost the credibility of other accusers.
Another accuser, Miriam Haley, testified last week that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2006. A third accuser, Jessica Mann, is expected to testify later.
The Associated Press usually refrains from naming people who make sexual assault allegations without consent. However, Haley, Mann, and Sokola have consented to disclosure.
- Kaja Sokola's testimony in the latest trial reveals a horrific experience she had with Harvey Weinstein in 2002, when he allegedly forced her to perform a sexual act, an event she describes as the worst in her life.
- Interestingly, Sokola's encounter with Weinstein is not part of the current charges against him due to the statute of limitations, but she is sharing her story as it provides context to the allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse she faced in 2006.
- The health and wellness of women, especially sexual and reproductive health, is a significant issue that resurfaces in the trial of Harvey Weinstein, as more women step forward to share their deeply troubling stories of sexual harassment and assault, contributing to the ongoing general news discourse on crime and justice, as well as the broader movement for justice and equality.
