NEW YORK — Disturbing new allegations against Harvey Weinstein emerged Wednesday as prosecutors detailed how the disgraced film producer allegedly assaulted a teenage model, then name-dropped Hollywood stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Penelope Cruz after the attack.
During opening statements in Manhattan Supreme Court, prosecutors told jurors that Weinstein, 73, lured Kaja Sokola to his apartment in 2002 when she was just 16 years old, claiming he needed to “grab some papers.” Once inside, he demanded she remove her shirt, prosecutors said.
“This is what happens in the industry,” Weinstein allegedly told the teen before assaulting her.
After the alleged attack, prosecutors say Weinstein bragged about advancing the careers of Paltrow and Cruz, then advised Sokola she needed to “work on her stubbornness.”
The former Miramax head is being newly charged based on Sokola’s claims that he assaulted her again in 2006 during what she believed was a meeting about movie scripts. During this incident, Weinstein allegedly took her to a Manhattan hotel room and forcibly performed oral sex on her while she begged him, “Please don’t do this.”
Sokola, who previously sued Weinstein and received a $3.5 million settlement, alleges he sexually assaulted her multiple times over several years, beginning when she was a teenager. Weinstein faces criminal charges specifically for the 2006 incident, but not for the alleged 2002 assault.
Assistant District Attorney Shannon Lucey told jurors the producer preyed on women by using “dream opportunities as weapons.” Weinstein, seated in a wheelchair, remained calm and avoided eye contact with the jury as prosecutors described the alleged attacks.
The current proceedings mark Weinstein’s retrial after his 2020 conviction was overturned on appeal last year in a decision that shocked many legal observers. The retrial also includes allegations from Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann, who testified in the original trial.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His attorney, Arthur Aidala, argued during opening remarks that Weinstein had “mutually beneficial relationships” with his accusers.
“In this case, the casting couch is not a crime scene,” Aidala told jurors.
The trial continues as Weinstein’s health reportedly deteriorates. Last week, a judge ruled he could stay in a hospital during the proceedings rather than return to Rikers Island jail, where he has been held for much of the past five years.
The case has become a defining moment in the #MeToo movement, with dozens of women coming forward with allegations against the once-powerful Hollywood producer since 2017.
