Harvey Weinstein’s legal team resumed their questioning of Kaja Sokola, one of the convicted movie mogul’s accusers, on Tuesday during his retrial in Manhattan.
The defense questioned the former Polish model about a private journal in which she documented people who had sexually assaulted her — but notably did not include Harvey Weinstein. Instead, the former Hollywood producer was mentioned in other contexts, including an entry referring to “Harvey W,” where Sokola wrote that he was “promising help,” but “nothing came of it,” the Associated Press reported.
“The trauma that Harvey Weinstein inflicted on you was that he made promises that he didn’t keep, even as you accused two other men of sexually assaulting you,” Michael Cibella, one of Weinstein’s attorneys, said to Sokola.
“That’s your interpretation and I’ll leave that with you,” Sokola replied. “Harvey made promises he didn’t keep — and he sexually assaulted me.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Sokola contended that the journal — which she wrote in Polish in 2015 — should never have been introduced in open court, as its entries were part of her substance abuse treatment.
“This is very inappropriate,” Sokola said as one of Weinstein’s attorneys began reading portions of the text to the jury. “Please don’t read that. This is my personal things. I’m not on trial here.”
Judge Curtis J. Farber told Sokola that only limited questioning regarding the private journal would be permitted. He also expressed concerns about the journal’s completeness and authenticity, as well as questioned how the defense had obtained what appeared to be private medical records.
“This might backfire tremendously” for the defense, Farber said. (Prosecutors also opposed the inclusion of the journal as evidence.) “That’s the risk they’re willing to take.”
Sokola’s cross-examination began last Friday, during which Weinstein’s lawyer questioned her about previous lawsuits she filed against the former Hollywood producer — particularly regarding the roughly $3.5 million in compensation she received.
Cibella insinuated that the payouts helped her escape her now-estranged husband in 2021, with whom she is currently undergoing divorce proceedings. (Sokola told the jury that he was “physically violent” toward her and their son.) However, Sokola argued that she was working two jobs and out-earning him at the time.
Cibella also suggested that, in the early 2000s, Sokola tried to leverage then-studio boss Weinstein to launch her acting career.
“You believed that if you had consensual sex with Mr. Weinstein, you’d get your foot in the door and become a movie star,” he said.
“No, that is not what happened,” Sokola replied, emphasizing that she never had a “consensual” relationship with Weinstein.
At one point during her testimony, Sokola said she simply wanted Weinstein to be honest about whether she had a real chance of succeeding in the film industry as an actor.
“I didn’t want money. I didn’t want any shortcuts,” she said. “I just wanted him to be honest with me.”
After Friday’s cross-examination, Sokola’s attorney Lindsay Goldbrum said in a statement, “Today, Kaja Sokola stood strong in the face of an aggressive cross-examination, straight out of the victim-blamers playbook, Weinstein’s team mistakenly thought they could break her resolve. But Kaja was unwavering. Despite facing relentless and invasive questioning about the most painful and personal aspects of her life, including those unrelated to the charged incident, she remained composed and resolute. Her courage and grace in that courtroom was nothing short of remarkable.”
Earlier last week, Sokola took the stand and alleged that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in both 2002 and 2006. However, Weinstein is not facing charges for the alleged 2002 assault. That testimony was introduced to demonstrate Weinstein’s “propensity or predisposition” to commit the crimes for which he is currently on trial, Judge Farber explained to the jury — including the alleged 2006 assault involving Sokola.
Weinstein is charged with two counts of committing a “criminal sexual act” in the first degree and one count of third-degree rape. The charges stem from accusations by Sokola, former TV production assistant Miriam Haley — the first accuser to testify in Weinstein’s retrial — and actor Jessica Mann.
