On Thursday, Kaja Sokola, the latest accuser in Harvey Weinstein's criminal retrial, stood in the witness box, her eyes welling up with tears as she recounted how her "soul was stripped away" during an alleged forced oral sex encounter with the former studio mogul in a hotel room back in 2006. Sokola is one of three complainants testifying against Weinstein in this retrial. Unlike the other two witnesses, Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann, Sokola did not testify during Weinstein's previous trial, which ended in a conviction overturned in April 2024 due to improperly admitted testimony from other women about unrelated allegations.
Sokola's name was publicly revealed in connection with this case during the opening statements of the new trial on April 23. Prior to this, she had been involved in a civil lawsuit against Weinstein's brother Bob Weinstein, Disney, and Miramax in 2019, ultimately securing a $3 million settlement for another alleged sexual assault that occurred in 2002, when she was just 16 years old, and which is not part of the current charges.
The former Polish model and actress testified that she first met Weinstein in 2002, hoping to transition from modeling to an acting career after working in the U.S. and abroad. Sokola even landed a job as an extra in the film "The Nanny Diaries" through Weinstein. "I never wanted anything else from Harvey Weinstein except for an honest assessment of my chances as an actress," she said, emphasizing that she had never harbored any romantic or sexual interest in him.
The alleged incident with Weinstein took place in 2006, following a lunch meeting at the Tribeca Grand Hotel with Weinstein and Sokola's sister. Sokola, then 19, had arranged the meeting to introduce her sister to Weinstein, hoping to prove to her that she had a viable acting career ahead. After the lunch, Weinstein allegedly asked Sokola to come up to his hotel room to read a script. Once there, he forcibly restrained her on the bed, stripped off her stockings and underwear, and performed oral sex on her.
"I kept pleading, 'Please don't. Please stop. I don't want this.' But he ignored my pleas," Sokola testified, describing how she was unable to move under his body weight.
During her testimony following the alleged incident, Sokola recounted, "He remarked to me, 'You see? It wasn't that difficult,' with a hint of triumph." She hastily dressed and trailed him back to the elevator, eventually reuniting with her sister, who had been eagerly awaiting her return.
On the same Wednesday, Sokola's sister, Ewa Sokola, also took the stand. She verified their lunch engagement with Weinstein and her sister's subsequent departure with him. Ewa noted an "unmistakable tension" emanating from her sister upon her return from the upstairs encounter with Weinstein, despite the lunch itself being amicable and their day continuing as scheduled. It wasn't until a 2022 Rolling Stone article that Ewa first learned of the alleged sexual misconduct involving her sister.
When questioned about her silence regarding the incident, Kaja Sokola explained that she felt "self-blame" and hesitated to share the ordeal, especially after having earlier assured Ewa of her trust in Weinstein and his potential to advance her career. "I deeply valued my sister's and mother's approval. I couldn't bring myself to tell them," Sokola sobbed on the stand on Thursday. She further testified that her siblings had entered her into a modeling contest when she was just 14.
Earlier that Thursday, Sokola provided a harrowing account of her alleged sexual encounter with Weinstein during her inaugural trip to New York at the tender age of 16. Their initial meeting took place at the Butter restaurant, where Weinstein inquired about her acting aspirations. Sokola obligingly shared her number. A few days later, he called, picked her up in his chauffeured car, and, contrary to their lunch plans, directed the driver to his apartment. She followed him to his bedroom and then the bathroom, where he allegedly fondled her vagina and forced her hand onto his penis to masturbate him.
"He commanded me to undress, but I was hesitant, panicking inside. Then, he suggested that if I aspired to be an actress, this was something actors did in films. 'You'll have to get used to it,' he insisted," Sokola recounted, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I was terrified; he filled me with dread," she continued, revealing that she had followed him out of helplessness, being just sixteen and unaware of any other alternative. "I had never been in such an intimate, yet compelled, encounter before." In addressing this incident, alongside another alleged incident of groping years hence, Judge Curtis Farber informed the jury of an agreement stating that these events, though criminal in nature, were uncharged and presented solely as contextual background to their relationship. They were not intended to imply a propensity or predisposition towards criminal behavior, a distinction critical in navigating the Molineux rule, which restricts the use of past misconduct to prove a defendant's likelihood to commit the charged offenses. This rule played a pivotal role in overturning Weinstein's 2020 conviction.
Weinstein now faces retrial on criminal sexual assault charges linked to Sokola, alongside allegations from former 'Project Runway' production assistant Miriam Haley, who claims he compelled her to perform oral sex at his apartment in 2006, and aspiring actress Jessica Mann, who alleges she was raped by him in a Manhattan hotel in 2013. Weinstein maintains his innocence on all counts, observing Sokola's testimony from his wheelchair at the defense table, flanked by his legal team.
Haley, who testified last week, recounted how despite her attempts to resist, Weinstein forced her onto his bed and subjected her to oral sex after she accepted his invitation to a film premiere in Los Angeles. Both Haley and Sokola maintained some degree of contact with Weinstein following their respective alleged encounters, exchanging emails about potential entertainment projects. Sokola specifically reached out to Weinstein about a film venture and to a member of his team regarding representation as an actor.
Years subsequent to the alleged assault, Sokola transformed her life, becoming a psychotherapist in Poland before relocating to New York. She currently resides on a visa and seeks asylum, having fled an abusive marriage. She confided that she continues to grapple with alcohol addiction, a struggle that began in her teenage years. Beyond her involvement in civil litigation stemming from the 2002 incident, she participated in a settlement fund against Weinstein concerning the 2006 incident, receiving $475,000 in compensation. However, this marked her debut testimony in criminal proceedings, a decision she attributed to her son.
"As a single mother raising my young son alone, I've come to realize the impact of what happened to me as a child. I want to embody power, strength, and resilience for him," Sokola said. "By testifying and sharing the most intimate details of my life, I aim to inspire others that no matter how low you sink, you can still rise again."
