Photo: .kajafunezsokola.pl
Yet another one of Harvey Weinstein's accusers has come forward.
By Nicole Pomarico — Written on Dec 20, 2019
Harvey Weinstein’s accusers are now in the double digits, and yet another woman has come forward to share her story.
Former model Kaja Sokola has filed a lawsuit against Weinstein, claiming that Weinstein threatened to ruin her career if she didn’t have sex with him during what was supposed to be a business lunch they had when she was 16 years old.
But who is Kaja Sokola? Here’s everything you need to know about Weinstein’s most recent accuser.
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1. After originally filing under a pseudonym, Kaja Sokola has chosen to file again under her own name.
Sokola initially filed a suit against Weinstein the first time as Jane Doe in 2018. But she's now re-filing the lawsuit under her own name as part of the New York Child Victim’s Act, listing not only Weinstein but also who she claims are his enablers in the suit — Robert Weinstein, Miramax, and Disney. In her legal documents, Sokola explained that Weinstein told her that if she didn’t do what he asked, he’d make sure she “would never work as an actress.”
“[Weinstein] would not let her leave until after he terrified and sexually abused her,” said Sokola’s complaint. “This traumatic day has been etched in Sokola’s mind every day thereafter, and it has caused her immense emotional pain and suffering, even seventeen years later and long after she gave up her dreams of acting or working in the entertainment industry.”
2. Weinstein has denied Sokola’s claims in a statement.
Weinsein's statement is actually the same as the one he released when Sokola was only known as Jane Doe.
"The claim is preposterous," Weinstein’s statement via lawyer Benjamin Braffman said. "Like so many other women in this case who have already been exposed as liars, this latest completely uncorroborated allegation that is almost 20 years old will also be shown to be patently false."
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3. Who is Kaja Sokola? She gave up on acting because of the incident with Weinstein.
In a statement Sokola released through her lawyers, she said she has moved on from acting and modeling because of her alleged sexual assault, and now, at 33 years old, works as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist.
“As part of my professional education and experience, I have learned that some wounds never fully heal. Memories of sexual abuse are like a scar after a burn, but because the injury is to the psyche, it is invisible to everyone except the victim. By revealing my own scar, I hope to encourage others to speak up about their own experiences,” her statement said.
“I know that this lawsuit cannot erase the pain that I have been living with for 17 years. But I do hope to achieve at least some measure of justice that has still been denied to Harvey Weinstein’s many victims,” she added.
4. Sokola refused to be part of a $25 million settlement from Weinstein.
Earlier this month, Weinstein and his film studio reached a $25 million settlement deal to pay some of his accusers in exchange for not having to pay them himself and not having to admit to wrongdoing.
This settlement would be paid out by the Weinstein Company, not Weinstein personally, and Sokola has chosen to reject this settlement, instead pursuing further legal action.
5. Weinstein is set to appear in court in January.
Next month, Weinstein’s sexual assault trial will begin, and although the trial directly relates to only two of his accusers, three other accusers will be allowed to testify as “prior bad acts” witnesses. So far, Weinstein has pled not guilty to all charges.
6. Today, Sokola lives and works in Krakow, Poland.
According to her official website, her passion has become all about writing and psychology.
“I am an addiction and co-addiction psychotherapist,” her website says, translated from Polish to English. “I am constantly developing, because what I do is not only my job but also my passion. I try to get the best of every day, remembering to appreciate what I have. I believe in the uniqueness of every living being, in the power of goodness and beauty that lies within us.”
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.