Harvey Weinstein’s Defense Team Pushes Accuser Kaja Sokola on Diary and Career Aspirations

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On Tuesday, during my examination of Kaja Sokola, one of the three individuals bringing charges against Harvey Weinstein, his legal team attempted to utilize a diary she wrote in 2015 as evidence against her.

The layout of the journal, as stated by Sokola who connected it to her past treatment for alcohol addiction, was presented by her sister from Poland following a subpoena. This revelation led Sokola to describe its exposure as “highly inappropriate” and “unethical.”

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The design of the journal, according to Sokola who linked it with her past recovery from alcohol dependency, was disclosed by her sister from Poland after a subpoena was served. This disclosure caused Sokola to label its unveiling as “inappropriate” and “unethical.”

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The look of the journal, mentioned by Sokola who associated it with her past battle against alcoholism, was shown by her sister from Poland following a subpoena. This reveal led Sokola to call its presentation “inadequate” and “unfitting.

“I’m not on trial here!” Sokola said, raising her voice.  

She asked curiously, ‘How did you come across this?’ She mentioned it was from Poland and she hadn’t laid eyes on something similar for a long, long time.

During the hearing, Judge Curtis Farber authorized the defense to present a journal they’d obtained, albeit in a restricted manner. This decision followed a detailed conversation during morning hours and again after lunch, despite continuous protests from the prosecution and Sokola herself. Sokola was questioned about her chart, which included people who had harmed her and their corresponding actions. On this chart, she had noted Weinstein’s name, indicating he had failed to keep a promise made to her, but did not include any entry related to sexual assault.

Sokola asserted the accuracy of her statement, but was abruptly stopped mid-response when she spoke more loudly.

At the age of 16, Sokola previously stated that her initial encounter with Weinstein occurred when she was modeling in New York.

In 2006, it’s claimed that Sokola, who was 19 at the time, had an inappropriate encounter with Weinstein. This supposedly occurred after a lunch meeting with Weinstein and Sokola’s sister at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. The meeting was arranged by Sokola to give her sister a glimpse of potential opportunities in acting. After a quick lunch, Weinstein allegedly asked Sokola to his hotel room to review a script. However, instead of discussing the script, he reportedly forced Sokola onto the bed and performed oral sex against her will.

She is one of the three witnesses who have accused him of wrongdoing in the case. She testified second, following Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann. Haley claims he coerced her into performing oral sex at his apartment in 2006, while Mann alleges that Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel in 2013.

In addition, Sokola provided testimony about an intimate experience she had with Weinstein when she was just 16 years old. She claimed that he inappropriately touched her private areas and made her touch his genitals for self-gratification. Although this encounter isn’t part of the current case, Sokola took legal action against Bob Weinstein, Disney, and Miramax in 2019. Eventually, she successfully secured a $3 million settlement linked to this incident.

During questioning on Friday, Weinstein’s legal team attempted to suggest that Sokola’s motivation for making accusations against Weinstein might have been linked to her asylum application, and that their interaction was consensual as part of a strategy to advance her career.

Last week, Sokola passionately declared and appeared close to tears while testifying that there was no consensual relationship with Weinstein. She expressed her desire for his genuine assessment regarding her acting career prospects.

Sokola stated that he encountered an individual who seemed to be at the pinnacle of success. What I sought wasn’t wealth or quick fixes; instead, I desired authenticity from him,” Sokola explained. “Our connection was not based on transactions, but rather treated as a professional interaction.

“He was telling me about my promising movie career,” she said. “Unfortunately he was lying.” 

Michael Cibella, representing Weinstein’s defense attorney, frequently emphasized Aradia’s past aspirations as an actress and her interviews with NewsNation and Rolling Stone about a previous encounter with Weinstein, in which she didn’t bring up the charged incident. Additionally, he highlighted that she had been given a minor role as an extra in “The Nanny Diaries” by Weinstein (though this part was eventually removed from the movie) and received a recommendation letter for the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute from a Weinstein associate following the alleged charged incident. However, Aradia never took advantage of this recommendation to enroll in the institute.

On Tuesday, he highlighted the contact Sokola had with Weinstein in 2010 and 2011 concerning script possibilities and business meetings, along with what he claimed were inconsistencies in her account of Weinstein’s aggressive behavior during the alleged encounter.

Recently, under questioning by Cibella, Sokola – a woman who escaped her husband in Poland – revealed that she was seeking a U visa. This visa permits victims of crimes who inform authorities about the crime and assist with prosecution to reside and work in the United States for up to four years. She also mentioned that contributing to this case could be beneficial.

Additionally, Cibella highlighted that Sokola obtained $475,000 as a part of a settlement related to her 2016 encounter with Weinstein, which was paid out towards the end of 2021 or early 2022. Notably, Sokola had earlier testified about her escape from an abusive relationship in Poland and her subsequent flight to New York during that same period. This sudden move seemed to dodge Cibella’s questions, suggesting that she used the money for her escape and to rent a New York apartment that cost approximately $11,000 per month. Moreover, Cibella also brought attention to Sokola’s previous criticism of the fund, claiming it freed Weinstein from additional civil lawsuits. However, Cibella noted that Sokola later changed her stance on this matter.

Sokola stated that she traveled to New York and leased an apartment due to holding down two full-time positions, which provided her with a monthly income roughly equal to $15,000,” in simpler terms.

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2025-05-14 00:25