In a New York court, lawyers for Harvey Weinstein challenged allegations made by a former model accusing him of sexual assault when she was a teenager. The defense aimed to cast doubt on Kaja Sokola’s testimony, suggesting she sought to advance her acting career through Weinstein.
“You believed that if you had consensual sex with Mr. Weinstein, you’d get your foot in the door and become a movie star,” stated defense lawyer Mike Cibella. Sokola firmly rebutted, “No, that’s not what happened,” maintaining she never engaged consensually with Weinstein. During extensive questioning, Cibella attempted to reveal inconsistencies in Sokola’s narrative, specifically asking if she had invited Weinstein to her apartment’s bedroom in New York in 2005, a notion she denied.
Sokola stood her ground, asserting she didn’t seek shortcuts from the influential producer, but rather hoped for integrity. She explained that Weinstein promised to aid her acting dreams but ended up shattering them along with her self-esteem.
The former teenage model from Poland accuses Weinstein of continually abusing her sexually when she was a minor. Some allegations predate the legal timeframe for criminal prosecution, but Weinstein is currently facing charges related to Sokola’s claim of being forced into unwanted oral sex in 2006. This charge was added by prosecutors following an appeal court’s nullification of Weinstein’s 2020 conviction. The overturned guilty verdict involved accusations from two other women whose repeated testimonies are expected at the current retrial.
Though Weinstein, now 73, asserts his innocence and denies all allegations of sexual misconduct, Sokola, now 39, recounted experiences from her modeling days, claiming charismatic promises by Weinstein quickly turned predatory. She first met Weinstein as a 16-year-old in New York in 2002. Four years later, while meeting in a hotel over a script, she claims he assaulted her despite her protests.
Despite her brief appearance as an extra in the 2007 film “The Nanny Diaries”—a scene that got cut—Sokola did not receive a lead role in any Weinstein production. His company also penned a recommendation letter for her to an acting school, but financial constraints halted her pursuits.
In response to these ordeals, Sokola sued Weinstein years ago over what happened in 2002 and accepted a $3.5 million settlement. However, legal documents never detailed her account of forced oral sex in 2006. While testifying, Sokola expressed she wrestled more with this latter incident than the earlier abuse. Defense attorney Cibella highlighted such omissions and suggested financial motives behind her lawsuit, which Sokola countered, citing her steady employment. Additionally, Cibella alluded to minor discrepancies in Sokola’s testimonies and noted her efforts to find a way to remain in the United States, potentially bolstered by her participation in the criminal proceeding.
The trial continues as Sokola is set to resume her testimony next week. Despite withholding names of alleged sexual assault victims, coverage identifies Sokola, having consented to public disclosure of her identity.