"Harvey Weinstein's Nasty Business" Ex-Model: 16-Year-Old Me, Tearfully Testifies
Teenager alleged sexual misconduct by Weinstein at 16 years old.
In the ongoing New York trial of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, Kaja Sokola, a former model, stepped up to the stand to accuse him of sexual assault. At just 16 years old, Sokola bravely shared her heart-wrenching story of abuse in tears.
Kicking off Harvey Weinstein's New York retrial, Sokola testified about an alleged attack in 2002 in a Manhattan apartment. "I felt like a damn fool, I was mortified," the now 39-year-old revealed, battling emotions. "I was terrified, I had never explored intimacy before."
Weinstein's Lust for Power
In the trial, Sokola accused the 73-year-old Weinstein of forcing oral sex. This comes after Weinstein was initially convicted in 2020 for sexual assault and rape of former production assistant Miriam Haley and another woman but was granted a retrial due to procedural errors. The trial resumed in mid-April, with Sokola being the first accuser to speak.
Although the criminal charges for the acts Weinstein is accused of committing when Sokola was 16 have passed due to the statute of limitations, Sokola recounted the chilling details of the incident in court. She claimed she first met Weinstein at a dinner with other models at a Manhattan restaurant during her first solo trip to New York. She felt "like a star" when the older film producer approached her. Weinstein then invited her to lunch and took her to a Manhattan apartment, where he coerced her into undressing, threatening her Hollywood dreams if she didn't comply.
Shattered Dreams
When asked why she didn't report the incidents at the time, Sokola explained, her voice cracking with emotion, "I was terrified, I thought it was all my fault." Later, in 2006, Sokola claimed Weinstein lured her into a Manhattan hotel room, forcing her to have sex. Her testimony is expected to continue later in the day.
Sources: ntv.de, lar/AFP
- Harvey Weinstein
- Hollywood
- Crime
- Trials
- Child Abuse
- Power and Influence
Enrichment Data:
- Kaja Sokola, a former model and aspiring actor, vividly recounted her terrifying encounter with Harvey Weinstein, detailing how she felt watched in a bathroom mirror, with Weinstein's eyes appearing "black and scary," as he ignored her protests and assaulted her[2][1].
- The incident in 2002 was a turning point in Sokola's life, leaving her feeling guilt-ridden and ashamed, taking years for her to speak up about the abuse[2]. Despite the statute of limitations preventing criminal charges, Sokola stood up to Weinstein during the retrial, providing a compelling account of his alleged misconduct[2].
- I'm not going to be able to completely heal from the trauma, as the incident in 2002 with Harvey Weinstein changed the course of my life forever.
- The general public can follow the ongoing developments of the Harvey Weinstein trial on various sources like general news, crime-and-justice, and health-and-wellness media outlets.
- The testimony provided by Kaja Sokola, a former model, included details about being subjected to sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein in a Manhattan apartment when she was only 16 years old.
- Weinstein's ongoing trial for sexual misconduct has led to renewed conversations about the power and influence that older individuals can exercise over younger ones, especially in the Hollywood scene.
- Aside from the charges in the trial, Sokola also discussed other disturbing encounters with Weinstein, such as being lured into a Manhattan hotel room in 2006, on platforms like WhatsApp, thereby adding more depth to the allegations of his misconduct.
