Ex-model tearfully tells jury that Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her when she was 16

NEW YORK – A erstwhile exemplary tearfully testified Thursday that Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her erstwhile she was 16 years old, calling it the astir “horrifying happening I ever experienced” to that point.

Kaja (KEYE’-ah) Sokola, an aspiring histrion astatine the time, told jurors astatine Weinstein’s #MeToo retrial that the onetime movie honcho enactment his manus wrong her underwear and made her interaction his genitals astatine a Manhattan flat successful 2002.

Sokola said she saw Weinstein’s eyes — “black and scary” — staring astatine her successful a bath reflector arsenic it happened.

Afterward, she said, helium told her to support quiescent astir what had happened, touting that he'd made the careers of A-listers similar Gwyneth Paltrow and Penélope Cruz and that helium could assistance her Hollywood dreams travel true.

“I’d ne'er been successful a concern similar this,” Sokola testified, arsenic riveted jurors scribbled notes. “I felt anserine and ashamed and similar it’s my responsibility for putting myself successful this position.”

Weinstein is not charged with immoderate transgression successful transportation with the alleged assault, which Sokola archetypal elaborate successful a suit a fewer years ago. The timing enactment it extracurricular the statute of limitations for transgression charges.

Sokola is testifying due to the fact that Weinstein is charged with forcibly performing oral enactment connected her astatine a Manhattan edifice 4 years later, astir the clip of her 20th birthday. Prosecutors accidental it happened aft Weinstein arranged for Sokola to beryllium an other successful the movie “The Nanny Diaries.”

Sokola reported the allegation to authorities a fewer days into Weinstein’s archetypal proceedings successful 2020, but was not a portion of that case. Prosecutors added her to the retrial, joining 2 women who testified successful the archetypal case, aft his condemnation was overturned past year.

Weinstein, present 73, looked down and distant from Sokola arsenic she recounted the earlier allegation, pressing his near thumb and scale digit against his look similar a shield.

Sokola testified that she archetypal met the then-studio brag astatine a Manhattan edifice successful 2002, 3 oregon 4 days earlier the alleged assault. During the abbreviated chat, she said, Weinstein asked her if she wanted to beryllium an actress.

A fewer days later, she said, helium invited her to luncheon — ostensibly to speech astir acting — but alternatively took her to an apartment, wherever led her into a chamber and past a bathroom, instructed her to instrumentality her apical disconnected and assaulted her.

“He told maine to speech my apparel disconnected and I didn’t privation to bash that. I was panicking,” Sokola testified. “And past helium said that if I privation to beryllium an actress, that’s what actors bash successful films, truthful I should get utilized to it. If a manager says you person you instrumentality your apparel off, you person to instrumentality your apparel off. I was scared. I was frightened of him.”

Sokola avoided looking astatine Weinstein arsenic she walked to the witnesser basal — testifying for a 2nd time aft detailing connected Wednesday her upbringing successful Poland, entrée into modeling and her nonrecreational vocation arsenic a psychotherapist and writer who precocious launched a movie accumulation company. She peered concisely astatine Weinstein erstwhile asked Thursday to constituent him retired successful court.

Weinstein has pleaded not blameworthy and denies sexually assaulting anyone.

His lawyers contend that his accusers consented to intersexual encounters with him successful hopes of getting movie and TV opportunities, and the defence has emphasized that the women stayed successful interaction with him for a portion aft the alleged assaults. The women, meanwhile, accidental the then-producer utilized the imaginable of amusement concern enactment to prey connected them.

Sokola sued Weinstein aft manufacture whispers astir his behaviour toward women became a chorus of nationalist accusations successful 2017, fueling the #MeToo movement against intersexual misconduct. Prosecutors person said Sokola yet received $3.5 cardinal successful compensation.

Prosecutors person said they began investigating Sokola’s claims successful 2020 but set the enquiry aside aft Weinstein was convicted. They revived the probe aft New York’s highest tribunal reversed his conviction.

Weinstein’s lawyers fought unsuccessfully to support Sokola retired of the retrial, accusing prosecutors of “smuggling an further complaint into the case” to effort to bolster different accusers’ credibility.

One of the others, Miriam Haley, testified past week that Weinstein forced oral enactment connected her successful 2006. The 3rd accuser successful the case, Jessica Mann, is expected to attest later.

The Associated Press mostly does not sanction intersexual battle accusers without their permission, which Haley, Mann and Sokola person given.

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