Context:

Kaja Sokola, a former model, testified against Harvey Weinstein, recounting how he molested her when she was 16 after they met in a club in New York. She described the initial encounter where Weinstein forced her into sexual acts under the guise of discussing her film aspirations. Years later, another assault occurred during a work-related meeting, which is now part of a criminal case against Weinstein, who faces charges of committing a criminal sexual act in the first degree. Despite being convicted in New York and California for similar charges, Weinstein's previous New York conviction was overturned due to procedural issues. Sokola's decision to testify was partly inspired by her desire to demonstrate resilience and strength to her son, having settled a lawsuit against Weinstein under the Child Victims Act for $3 million in 2019.

Dive Deeper:

• Kaja Sokola arrived in New York City from Poland in 2002, aspiring to become a star, when she met Harvey Weinstein at a club, where he obtained her phone number and later invited her to discuss her film aspirations at lunch.

• Instead of lunch, Weinstein took Sokola to his SoHo apartment where he forced her to masturbate him in a bathroom, an act she recounted to a Manhattan jury years later, describing the emotional impact it had on her.

• Several assaults followed, including one incident in 2006 when Weinstein took Sokola, who was almost 20, to a hotel room under the pretense of reviewing a script, where he sexually assaulted her despite her pleas to stop.

• The criminal case against Weinstein, which includes charges from Sokola and other women alleging similar assaults, follows his overturned conviction in New York in 2020 due to issues with witness testimonies not directly related to the charges.

• Prosecutors maintain that Weinstein used his influence to control and assault young women in the industry, a pattern exposed by numerous testimonies and an investigation by The New York Times.

• Sokola's testimony against Weinstein was motivated by her desire to empower herself and her son, having previously settled a lawsuit against Weinstein for $3 million, facilitated by the Child Victims Act.

• Weinstein's legal battles have been extensive, with convictions in both New York and California, though he maintains the interactions were consensual and continues to appeal his cases.