In a heartfelt testimony on Thursday, a former model revealed that Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her when she was just 16 years old, describing it as the most traumatic experience she had faced up to that point. Recounting the harrowing incidents, Kaja Sokola shared her story with the jury during Weinstein’s #MeToo retrial. Sokola, an aspiring actor at the time, detailed how Weinstein assaulted her in 2002 at a Manhattan apartment and again in 2006 at a hotel shortly before her 20th birthday. While Weinstein denies the allegations, Sokola bravely testified about the distressing encounters, explaining how she felt ashamed and manipulated by Weinstein’s promises to advance her acting career. The emotional testimony shed light on the disturbing incidents that Sokola had kept silent about for years, revealing the profound impact they had on her.
Weinstein’s legal team argues that his accusers willingly engaged in sexual encounters with him in the hope of advancing their careers. They point out that the women maintained contact with Weinstein after the alleged assaults. However, the women claim that Weinstein exploited their desire for work opportunities to prey on them. Sokola filed a lawsuit against Weinstein following numerous public accusations against him in 2017, which contributed to the rise of the #MeToo movement. Prosecutors stated that Sokola eventually received $3.5 million in compensation. Weinstein’s attorneys tried unsuccessfully to prevent Sokola from participating in the retrial, accusing prosecutors of introducing an additional charge to support other accusers. Miriam Haley, one of the accusers, testified that Weinstein forced oral sex on her in 2006, while Jessica Mann, another accuser, is expected to testify about being raped by Weinstein in 2013. The Associated Press typically does not disclose the identities of sexual assault accusers without their consent, which Haley, Mann, and Sokola have granted.
