Context:

In Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial, former model Kaja Sokola confronted a defense lawyer for questioning the authenticity of her sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein, asserting the truthfulness of her experiences and the significant impact on her life. Sokola recounted how Weinstein made unwanted advances from when she was 16, and at 19, he allegedly forced oral sex on her. Defense attorney Mike Cibella suggested Sokola's accusations were financially motivated, referencing a $3.5 million settlement from civil proceedings, which Sokola denied. The defense scrutinized her interactions with Weinstein, her motivations, and personal struggles, even referencing a decade-old journal not mentioning Weinstein's abuse. Sokola expressed feeling violated by the journal's use in court and stood by her testimony, which prosecutors included in the retrial following the overturning of Weinstein's previous conviction involving other accusers' testimonies.

Dive Deeper:

• Kaja Sokola, a former model, firmly defended her allegations against Harvey Weinstein, emphasizing their truthfulness and the profound effect they had on her life, as she took the stand for the fifth day in Weinstein's retrial for sex crimes.

• Sokola detailed how Weinstein purportedly offered to support her acting career but instead made unwanted advances starting when she was 16, culminating in an alleged forced oral sex incident at age 19.

• Defense lawyer Mike Cibella challenged Sokola's motives by highlighting a $3.5 million settlement she received from civil proceedings, which Sokola rejected as an unfair characterization of her accusations.

• The defense questioned Sokola about her interactions with Weinstein after the alleged assault, her motivations for pursuing legal action, and her personal issues, including referencing a private journal she kept for an alcohol-abuse program.

• The defense introduced parts of Sokola's journal, obtained through her sister, which mentioned other assaults but not Weinstein's, prompting Sokola to explain that she could not confront his abuse at the time and felt violated by its court use.

• Sokola was one of three accusers in the retrial, which followed the overturning of Weinstein's 2020 conviction; her testimony was added by prosecutors to strengthen their case.

• The retrial also includes testimonies from Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann, with Haley having already testified about a separate alleged assault by Weinstein, and Mann expected to testify about an alleged rape in 2013.