Kaja Sokola, a former Polish runway model, recounted her traumatic experience with Harvey Weinstein during his sexual abuse retrial, calling it the most “horrifying thing I ever experienced.” Testifying on Thursday, Sokola, now 39, described an incident from 2006 when she was just 16. She alleged that Weinstein assaulted her in his Manhattan apartment, forcibly putting his hand inside her underwear and making her touch him, while she felt terror at the sight of his “black and scary” eyes in a bathroom mirror.
Following the assault, Weinstein implied that he could advance her acting career, telling her to stay silent about the incident. Sokola testified about feelings of shame and self-blame for being in that situation. She met Weinstein shortly after moving to New York from Warsaw to pursue modeling and acting; he had allegedly assured her he could help her succeed in Hollywood.
Days after they met at an event, Weinstein invited Sokola for a supposed business lunch, which turned into the assault when he demanded sex. When she resisted, he threatened her, claiming that her refusal would jeopardize her future in the industry. Sokola’s lawsuit outlined the emotional trauma she faced post-assault, ultimately leading her to abandon her acting dreams.
Her testimony follows that of another accuser, Miriam Haley, who had a breakdown during her own testimony. Weinstein, 73, has denied all allegations, asserting that all sexual encounters were consensual. While Weinstein was previously convicted in a separate case, his prior trial excluded Sokola’s allegations. His lawyers are appealing his past conviction amid ongoing health issues, including a diagnosis of bone marrow cancer.
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