(AP) – A former Polish model testified in tears at Harvey Weinstein’s trial, claiming he sexually assaulted her when she was just 16 years old.
Kaja Sokola, 39, recounted the alleged assault in a New York Criminal Court, describing her encounter with Weinstein in a Manhattan apartment back in 2002.
“I was scared; it was a situation I had never experienced before,” Sokola shared during her testimony. She noted that during the assault, she found herself “glaring at me with the reflection” in the bathroom mirror.
“I’ll never forget this,” she stated emphatically.
Sokola was among the first to testify this week, one of three accusers in a case stemming from multiple sexual assault allegations against Weinstein from 2020.
It’s important to mention that Weinstein hasn’t faced charges for the incident involving Sokola.
Additionally, Sokola testified about another assault she endured at a Manhattan hotel when she was 19.
Two other witnesses—former production assistant Miriam Haley and actress Jessica Mann—gave their accounts during Weinstein’s original trial, contributing to the rise of the #MeToo movement nearly a decade ago. Now, this case is being revisited as Weinstein stands trial again in New York.
His previous conviction related to charges against Haley and Mann was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals last year.
Sokola, who had aspirations of becoming an actress at 16, recalled meeting Weinstein for dinner with other models.
A film producer, who had previously contacted her, suggested they have a luncheon, but instead, they ended up at his apartment where he told her to undress.
“He pushed me into the bathroom. I told him I didn’t want to do it, and he insisted I needed to overcome my stubbornness,” she testified, explaining that he forced her to engage in sexual acts until he ejaculated.
Sokola revealed that after the encounter, she felt “silly and embarrassed,” especially recalling how Weinstein had placed his hand on her forehead.
She mentioned feeling compelled to comply, thinking she needed to listen if she aimed to advance her career in Hollywood, reflecting on her current role as a psychotherapist.
Sokola admitted that in the year following the incident, she began to lose weight and struggled with issues like loss of appetite and bulimia.
When prosecutor Shannon Lucy asked why she hadn’t reported the assault, she replied, “I thought it was my fault.”
“Before that, I was a happy teenager,” she said. “I had personal boundaries, but everything happened so fast, without my consent.”
Sokola recounted a later encounter with Weinstein during a lunch in 2006, where he lured her to a hotel under the guise of discussing a script.
There, she claims he pushed her onto the bed and forced her to have sex.
“I told him to stop,” she testified, “but he didn’t listen,” she added.
Despite his success with films like “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love,” Weinstein has never admitted to any wrongdoing. He is currently serving a 16-year sentence after being convicted in California for raping and assaulting a European actress over a decade ago.
