Harvey Weinstein’s attorneys declare a former mannequin’s description of how he allegedly raped her ‘does not make sense’ and feels like ‘Harvey taking part in Tornado.’
Kaja Sokola, now 39, tearfully recounted how she was allegedly raped and molested by the disgraced film mogul twice beneath the guise of serving to her performing profession.
She alleged in her testimony to a New York Metropolis jury that Weinstein held her down on a lodge mattress and compelled oral intercourse on her days earlier than her twentieth birthday in 2006.
‘He pressured himself on my vagina – he raped me,’ she declared to the courtroom on Thursday, her voice rising with pent-up disgust and outrage.
However Juda Englemayer, certainly one of Weinstein’s attorneys, advised DailyMail.com after Sokola’s testimony that the actions she described had been implausible.
‘His hand’s over right here, his different hand’s over there, his mouth is right here – all whereas he is holding her down – it does not work,’ he stated.
‘Think about Harvey taking part in Tornado, that is what it is like. If individuals get previous their disgust of Harvey and give it some thought, it does not make sense.’
Sokola, who weighed solely 125lbs on the time, alleged Weinstein used his a lot higher mass to carry her down, and he or she could not push him off.
Kaja Sokola, now 39, tearfully recounted how she was allegedly raped and molested by the disgraced film mogul twice beneath the guise of serving to her performing profession
Disgraced film mogul Weinstein is on trial within the New York Supreme Felony Courtroom accused of sexualy abusing three aspiring actresses together with Sokola
She described how Weinstein’s left hand was on her abdomen, and his proper hand was on her left thigh as he allegedly pressured the intercourse act on her.
‘He pinned me to the mattress, I could not transfer beneath him… his complete physique was pining me to the mattress… it was like a rock was on me, it was too heavy,’ she advised the jury.
‘My legs had been turning into numb, he was so heavy.
‘I felt like I used to be lifeless – I used to be utterly numb… my hope had died.’
Sokola earlier broke down on the stand, sobbing uncontrollably, as she advised the jury about one other time Weinstein allegedly abused her when she was simply 16.
She advised the jury he groped her vagina beneath her underwear, and compelled her to the touch his penis in 2002 after luring her to an house.
The naive teen, who had barely even kissed a boy earlier than, was pressured to observe the alleged assault in a toilet mirror, Weinstein’s ‘black and scary’ eyes staring again at her, she advised the courtroom.
Weinstein stared at Sokola as she gave her testimony for the primary time, typically placing his hand over his mouth and continuously chewing cough drops.
At two different factors throughout Thursday’s proceedings, Weinstein appeared to nod off along with his head slumped to his proper, and needed to be prodded awake by his attorneys.
Sokola carrying United Bamboo Spring 2005 throughout Olympus Style Week Spring 2005 in NYC
Sokola attends INSPIRED Exhibition Curated By Beth Rudin DeWoody at Steven Kasher Gallery on July 14, 2010 in NYC
Sokola stared straight at Assistant District Legal professional Shannon Lucey as she testified, refusing to even have a look at Weinstein when she entered the courtroom.
Weinstein faces a New York Supreme Felony Courtroom jury in Manhattan for his retrial on rape and sexual assault prices.
The ailing 73-year-old was convicted of sexually assaulting aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and raping manufacturing assistant Mimi Haley in 2006.
However final yr, the New York Courtroom of Appeals astonishingly dominated that Weinstein didn’t obtain a good trial – and tossed out his 23-year sentence.
Weinstein continues to be behind bars at Rikers Island jail in NYC serving 16 years for unrelated intercourse crimes, however is being held at Bellevue Hospital throughout the brand new trial attributable to his declining well being.
Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg is as soon as once more accusing Weinstein of those crimes – in addition to an extra cost of sexual assault towards Sokola.
Weinstein is simply criminally charged with forcing oral intercourse on Sokola in 2006, however she sued him in 2019 over the 2002 incident in a case that was settled.
He maintains his innocence and his attorneys advised the courtroom the ladies consented to intercourse acts with Weinstein as a ‘quid professional quo’ to additional their careers.
Sokola alleged in her testimony that Weinstein held her down on a lodge mattress and compelled oral intercourse on her days earlier than her twentieth birthday in 2006 (pictured on the catwalk in Bryant Park in 2006)
Sokola advised the courtroom she first met Weinstein at a restaurant in July 2002 on her first of many journeys to NYC, about two years into her modeling profession.
‘I felt particular,’ when Weinstein took an curiosity in her performing profession, she stated, as that was at all times her ardour versus modeling.
However she alleged it went horribly incorrect when Weinstein took her to an house as an alternative of their deliberate working lunch days later.
As quickly because the door closed, Weinstein allegedly demanded the terrified woman take off her garments.
‘I did not need to do this. I used to be panicking,’ she stated.
‘After which he stated that if I need to be an actress, that is what actors do in movies, so I ought to get used to it. If a director says you might have you’re taking your garments off, you must take your garments off.
‘I used to be scared. I used to be petrified of him.’
Sokola stated she had by no means been in an intimate scenario and solely kissed and held arms together with her highschool boyfriend.
Sokola (pictured in 2022) earlier broke down on the stand, sobbing uncontrollably, as she advised the jury about one other time Weinstein allegedly abused ehr when she was simply 16
Terrified, she took off her high and Weinstein allegedly moved her into the lavatory along with his pants and underwear round his ankles.
Then he stood beside her and groped her beneath her underwear, then pressured her hand onto his penis, Sokola advised the courtroom.
Weinstein the allegedly put his hand on her breast and masturbated till he ejaculated on the ground.
‘See, that wasn’t so dangerous? You have to work in your stubbornness,’ he allegedly advised her afterwards.
Ultimately, he let her go they usually left. She did not inform anybody about what occurred for a few years.
‘I felt silly and ashamed and prefer it’s my fault for placing myself on this place,’ she advised the courtroom.
Sokola stated she left for a six-week job in Tokyo, and developed consuming issues, anxiousness, and melancholy on account of the incident with Weinstein.
Weinstein was convicted of sexually assaulting aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and raping manufacturing assistant Mimi Haley in 2006, however his conviction was thrown out final yr
Weinstein continues to be behind bars at Rikers Island jail in NYC serving 16 years for unrelated intercourse crimes, however is being held at Bellevue Hospital throughout the brand new trial attributable to his declining well being
The 2006 incident occurred when her sister Ewa Sokola, who was 12 years older than her, visited her house on twelfth Avenue for her twentieth birthday in April and Could.
Sokola craved the approval of her household, who had been livid she determined to pursue an performing profession as an alternative of go to school and her mom wasn’t talking to her.
She arrange a lunch with Weinstein and her sister within the hope that she ‘would not deal with me like a joke’ and would inform their mom ‘she’s not a joke, she truly has an opportunity’.
Weinstein, who lately obtained Sokola a task as an additional on The Nanny Diaries, met the sisters on the Tribeca Grand, which is now the Roxy Resort.
After some dialog, Weinstein advised Kaja Sokola he had a script for her to learn and he or she ought to include him upstairs.
Weinstein led her to a lodge room, and as soon as they obtained inside he allegedly grabbed her by the left shoulder and pushed her onto the mattress.
Kaja Sokola testified that Weinstein ripped off her boots, stockings, and underwear and pushed up her costume, then pinned her to the mattress and forcibly gave her oral intercourse.
‘I stored saying please cease, I do not need this – however he did not hear,’ she advised the courtroom.
Weinstein allegedly stored going till he was completed, then advised her: ‘That wasn’t so troublesome, was it?’
‘I want I may neglect [what he said], however I can not,’ Sokola advised the courtroom.
Sokola (pictured on Thursday) stared straight at Assistant District Legal professional Shannon Lucey as she testified, refusing to even have a look at Weinstein when she entered the courtroom
Sokola together with her attorneys exterior the courtroom on Thursday
Weinstein then let her go away and he left the lodge and he or she went again to her sister, not telling her something about what allegedly occurred, as she nonetheless desperately craved her household’s approval.
‘I blamed myself, my stupidity for puttin myself in that scenario… it modified the course of my life,’ Sokola stated.
The courtroom additionally heard from Ewa, who testified about assembly Weinstein at a restaurant together with her sister in 2006.
She advised the jury that that they had a pleasant chat with the film mogul earlier than he and Kaja left to, Weinstein claimed, learn some scripts.
When Kaja returned alone, she was very quiet and stated nothing on the desk till her sister requested if something was incorrect, however she brushed her off.
Ewa stated her sister was ‘extraordinarily tense’ and likened her temper to ready for the outcomes of a college examination, the place you’re dreading a foul end result.
The courtroom additionally heard from Sokola’s sister Ewa Sokola (heart), who testified about assembly Weinstein at a restaurant together with her sister in 2006
ADA Lucey final month advised jurors in her opening assertion that the once-renowned film and tv producer preyed on the teenager’s want to be within the motion pictures.
‘This modified Kaja in methods she’s nonetheless coping with at this time,’ she stated.
The allegations had been beforehand detailed in a civil swimsuit settled with Disney, Bob Weinstein and Miramax for $3 million, however Sokola was not recognized within the lawsuit.
Within the weeks after, Sokola was photographed with Weinstein and a 3rd individual at an occasion, and his firm wrote her a advice to the celebrated Lee Strasberg Theatre and Movie Institute.
The courtroom earlier heard from an official on the faculty that it had no file of Sokola attending. Kaja advised the courtroom that was as a result of she could not afford the charges.
Lucey advised jurors that energy imbalances usually ‘trigger victims to behave in ways in which laypersons probably may not count on.’
Sokola stored quiet about Weinstein allegedly abusing her till after different allegations emerged towards Weinstein in 2017, and sued him over the 2002 incident in 2019.
At subject within the retrial is earlier sexual assault prices towards aspiring actress Jessica Mann (left) and manufacturing assistant Mimi Haleyi that had been dropped final yr. Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg has revived these prices
Weinstein’s protection lawyer Arthur Aidala in her opening assertion countered by portraying Weinstein’s accusers as prepared companions in a showbiz quid professional quo.
‘The casting sofa shouldn’t be against the law scene,’ Aidala advised the majority-female jury. He then in contrast prosecutors´ allegations to the preview of a film that ‘falls flat on its face.’
He conceded that Weinstein did ‘idiot round’ with the alleged victims, however argued they did so ‘consensually’ in an effort to ‘lower the road’.
The lawyer argued that every of the three alleged victims had been ‘flirtatious’ of their interactions with Weinstein as a result of he ‘may change the trajectory of their lives and make goals come true.’
Addressing Sokola’s allegations immediately, Aidala claimed they had been ‘based mostly on a lie’ as he argued that the younger mannequin has a ‘lot of issues’ together with an alleged consuming dysfunction and alcohol dependancy.
The lawyer then went on to reward the disgraced film mogul, talking to his notoriety in Hollywood and describing him as ‘beneficiant’ and ‘the best film government, on the very least of his era.’
Aidala then requested the jury to have a look at the total image, calling the alleged incidents ‘minutes’ of the previous producer’s bigger story.
Weinstein pleaded not responsible to the 2 counts of first-degree felony sexual act and one rely of third-degree rape.
The brand new trial, presided over by state Supreme Courtroom Justice Curtis Farber, is predicted to final roughly six weeks.
If he had been to be convicted, Weinstein may see a long time tacked onto his already prolonged jail sentence.
He’s serving 16 years for a separate conviction in Los Angeles in 2022 – although his attorneys are additionally interesting that conviction.
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