Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers have sought to raise doubts about a former model’s allegations that he repeatedly sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager.
As defence lawyer Mike Cibella began what is likely to be lengthy questioning of Kaja Sokola, he pointed to differences in some details of her evidence this week and what she told a grand jury last year.
Mr Cibella also noted that although documents have indicated that Weinstein and Ms Sokola knew each other by 2006, no witnesses or documents corroborate her account of meeting the then-influential film producer four years earlier at a Manhattan nightclub.
She was 16 at the time and alleges he first sexually assaulted her days after they met.
Ms Sokola is the second of three accusers to give evidence at Weinstein’s rape and sexual assault retrial in New York, and she is the only one who was not part of the one-time Hollywood honcho’s first trial in 2020.
Weinstein is being retried because an appeals court overturned his landmark #MeToo 2020 conviction, saying the judge at the time allowed prejudicial evidence.
After the reversal, prosecutors added Ms Sokola’s allegation to the case.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and denies ever sexually assaulting anyone.
Polish-born Ms Sokola, 39, is a psychotherapist who had a jet-setting modelling career as a teenager.
She gave evidence earlier this week that Weinstein exploited her youthful interest in an acting career to subject her to unwanted sexual advances, starting days after they met in 2002, while she was on a modelling trip to New York.
Another alleged incident, in 2006, is the basis for a criminal sex act charge against Weinstein.
Ms Sokola, who was 19 at the time, alleges he lured her to a hotel room by saying he had a script for her to see, then pinned her down on a bed and performed oral sex on her as she implored him not to.
The Associated Press generally does not name people who allege they have been sexually assaulted, but Miriam Haley, Jessica Mann and Ms Sokola have given their permission to be identified.
