In a recent criminal trial involving Harvey Weinstein, two sisters took the stand. Kaja Sokola accused the fallen film executive of sexual assault. Interestingly, her sister, Ewa Sokola, was brought in as a witness to bolster Kaja’s case but ended up aiding the defense instead.
Now, Ewa Sokola has filed a defamation lawsuit against Kaja in Manhattan federal court. She claims that Kaja’s public remarks are damaging to her reputation and her work as a cardiologist in Poland.
Ewa stated that her sister made untrue remarks in Wrocław, which led to public scorn and humiliation towards her. She’s seeking unspecified damages.
Efforts to get comments from Kaja Sokola’s legal team and publicist went unanswered on Thursday and Friday.
In a split verdict back in June, Weinstein was found guilty of forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley, a production assistant, while he was acquitted of similar charges involving Kaja. Both women reported being assaulted in 2006.
After the jury foreman expressed a reluctance to deliberate further, the judge declared a mistrial regarding the charge of Weinstein raping former actor Jessica Mann.
Kaja Sokola detailed that during an encounter in 2006, Weinstein showed her a script in a hotel room, where he then forced himself on her.
Currently, Weinstein is yet to be sentenced, as discussions are ongoing about a defense request to overturn the verdict based on claims from two jurors who alleged they were pressured by their peers to convict. A ruling from Judge Curtis Farber is expected on January 8th.
Kaja has asserted that Ewa’s testimony undermined her own claims of assault by Weinstein at a Manhattan hotel shortly before her 20th birthday.
In her testimony, Kaja mentioned that Weinstein arranged for her to be an extra in The Nanny Diaries and later invited her and Ewa to meet him. After their conversation, he brought Kaja to his hotel room to show her a script, during which he allegedly assaulted her.
Following the trial, Kaja openly criticized her sister’s contribution, suggesting that although Ewa was intended as a prosecution witness, her testimony inadvertently supported Weinstein’s defense. This was further complicated when Ewa shared diary entries detailing assaults by other men, excluding Weinstein.
Kaja has described her sister’s testimony as a personal “betrayal” and accused her of leaving out crucial diary entries concerning her own experiences with Weinstein.
The lawsuit claims that Kaja has made numerous false allegations against Ewa, including serious accusations that have impacted Ewa’s business and professional standing, leading to loss of patients and employees.
