New York: Harvey Weinstein‘s legal professionals sought Friday to lift doubts about an ex-model’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her in her teenagers, portraying her as a wannabe actor who tried to leverage the previous studio boss.“You believed that for those who had consensual intercourse with Mr Weinstein, you’d get your foot within the door and grow to be a film star,” protection lawyer Mike Cibella stated.“No, that is not what occurred,” Kaja Sokola responded. “I by no means had a consensual relation with Mr Weinstein.” All through a day of questioning, Cibella sought to counsel that Sokola hadn’t instructed the complete story of her interactions with Weinstein. At one level, Cibella repeatedly requested whether or not she invited Weinstein as much as a New York condominium – and into the bed room – the place she was staying in 2005. She denied it. “I did not need any shortcuts from Mr Weinstein. I wished him to be sincere with me,” Sokola testified at a later level, her voice rising heated. She stated the Oscar-winning producer promised to assist her fulfil her appearing ambitions however as an alternative “broke my desires, and he broke my shallowness.” The Polish psychotherapist has accused Weinstein of repeatedly sexually abusing her when she was a teenage style mannequin. A few of these allegations are past the authorized time restrict for prison costs, however Weinstein faces a prison intercourse act cost over Sokola’s declare that he pressured oral intercourse on her in 2006. Prosecutors added the cost to the landmark #MeToo case final 12 months, after an appeals courtroom overturned Weinstein’s 2020 conviction. The responsible verdict pertained to allegations from two different girls, who even have testified or are anticipated on the retrial. Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not responsible and denies ever sexually assaulting anybody. The Polish-born Sokola, 39, had a jet-setting modelling profession as a teen. She testified earlier this week that Weinstein exploited her youthful curiosity in an appearing profession to topic her to undesirable sexual advances, beginning days after they met in 2002, whereas she was a 16-year-old on a modelling journey to New York. She instructed jurors that 4 years later, when she was 19, Weinstein lured her to a lodge room by saying he had a script for her to see, then pinned her down on a mattress and carried out oral intercourse on her as she implored him to not. Sokola by no means acquired a full-fledged function in a Weinstein film, although he did prepare for her to be an additional in 2007’s “The Nanny Diaries”. Her scene finally acquired minimize, she stated. His firm additionally wrote her a suggestion letter to an appearing college. She stated she hadn’t been capable of afford it. Sokola sued Weinstein a number of years in the past over the alleged 2002 incident, and she or he finally obtained about USD 3.5 million in compensation. Her fits by no means talked about the alleged 2006 assault. She testified Thursday that she’d had a harder time coming to phrases with it than she did with the alleged 2002 intercourse abuse. Cibella underscored the omission, and he instructed that she sued to realize monetary independence and have the ability to depart her now-estranged husband. Quite the opposite, she stated, she was working two jobs and out-earning him. Cibella additionally pointed to variations in some particulars of Sokola’s testimony this week and what she instructed a grand jury final 12 months, together with the month of the alleged 2002 sexual abuse. The lawyer additional famous that Sokola is pursuing numerous authorized pathways to remain within the U.S. long-term, and her involvement within the prison case might assist with considered one of them. Sokola is predicted to proceed testifying subsequent week. The Related Press usually doesn’t identify individuals who allege they’ve been sexually assaulted, however Sokola has given her permission to be recognized.
