Kaha Sokora, 39, recounted the distressing moments of her alleged sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein while addressing the Manhattan Supreme Court.
“I cried out loud,” she said, remembering the fear that enveloped her during the incident.
According to Sokora, Weinstein expressed displeasure and suggested she needed to overcome her “stubbornness.” She couldn’t help but note how he had been instrumental in launching careers in Hollywood, mentioning names like Penelope Cruz and Gwyneth Paltrow. “If you want to pursue that kind of career, you have to listen,” she asserted.
Presently 73, Weinstein had instructed her during their encounter to keep the matter confidential. Sokora broke down as she recounted the traumatic events of her assault, which had occurred when she was just 16. Meanwhile, Weinstein, seated in a wheelchair, seemed indifferent.
Originally from Poland, Sokora described how Weinstein and his driver took her to a Soho Loft after claiming they were going for lunch. Once there, Weinstein allegedly urged her to remove her clothes.
She detailed how, in the bathroom, he touched her inappropriately and forced her to engage in sexual acts. “It was the most frightening thing I’ve ever experienced,” she stated, adding that Weinstein’s eyes felt “black and scary” in the mirror—an image etched in her memory.
Sokora testified that Weinstein eventually violated her further, and she felt deeply intimidated, caught in the web of a powerful figure in the industry whom she still hoped would assist her career.
In a later encounter in 2004, she noted Weinstein’s unwanted advances while they were in a car, despite being uncomfortable with his actions. This testimony marks Sokora as the first individual to provide public testimony against Weinstein, who faces serious sexual offense charges that could lead to a sentence of up to 25 years.
While Weinstein had previously been convicted in 2020, that verdict was overturned last year. Notably, Sokora did not testify at the initial trial, and she is expected to detail more incidents from her past, including when she was 19 and claims he forced oral sex on her. Weinstein continues to plead not guilty.
