Harvey Weinstein used Gwyneth Paltrow-Penelope Cruz's names during assault: Testimony
What's the story
Polish-born former model Kaja Sokola testified in the Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday that disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her when she was just 16.
After the attack, Sokola let out a scream in horror when Weinstein got "upset" and spoke about Oscar-winning actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Penelope Cruz as A-list stars whose careers he had launched.
Sokola recounted, "I have to listen to him if I want to proceed with that career."
Emotional testimony
'He said that I have to work on my stubbornness'
Sokola, who is now 39, testified that after Weinstein assaulted her, she screamed and he got "upset," saying, "I have to work on my stubbornness."
She said she felt "stupid and ashamed and like it's my fault for putting myself in this position."
The accuser also said that Weinstein warned her that "this has to stay between us."
Assault details
Sokola described the alleged assault in detail
Sokola detailed the alleged assault dating back to 2002, which she said happened after Weinstein and his driver picked her up for what she thought was a business lunch.
She testified that Weinstein drove her to his loft in Soho, New York City, and asked her to take off her clothes.
During the alleged incident, Weinstein touched her intimate parts and made her touch his sexual organ in the bathroom.
Emotional testimony
'The most horrifying thing I've ever experienced'
Sokola testified that Weinstein used her hand to stimulate him, after which he "ejaculated on the floor."
She described the alleged incident as "the most horrifying thing I've ever experienced until that time."
During her testimony, she recalled looking into the mirror and seeing Weinstein's eyes, describing them as "black and scary."
Despite fearing Weinstein, Sokola held out hope he would help her with her acting career, and met him again in 2004.
Second encounter
Sokola's 2nd alleged encounter with Weinstein
Speaking about her second encounter with Weinstein in 2004, Sokola testified that he groped her breasts while she was in a car with him on their way to a gym in New York's West Village.
She claimed she rejected Weinstein's sexual advances during the 15-minute drive.
Sokola is also expected to testify about an alleged 2006 incident where Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her when she was 19.
Legal proceedings
Weinstein's attorney denied allegations, former Miramax founder remains unrepentant
Weinstein, who remained seated in a wheelchair throughout Sokola's testimony, has pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations.
Weinstein's attorney, Imran H Ansar,i told the Hollywood Reporter in 2023, "Mr. Weinstein categorically, and emphatically, has denied, and continues to deny, the allegations made against him by Ms. Sokola."
Weinstein was convicted in 2020 but had his felony sex crime conviction overturned by the New York State Court of Appeals in 2024.
This is Sokola's first time publicly testifying.