Former model Kaja Sokola has filed a lawsuit against serial sexual offender Harvey Weinstein. She has accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her when she was 16 years old. Multiple women have levelled similar allegations against the disgraced Hollywood mogul. He has reached settlement with dozens of women.
Weinstein sexually assaulted Sokola when she was a teen model
Former teen model Kaja Sokola filed a lawsuit against Weinstein on Thursday. In her suit, she said that the former model was introduced to Weinstein in September 2002. He had invited her for lunch to discuss her career, but instead took her to his residence, where he "sexually abused" her, AFP reported.
Sokola is none other than 'Jane Doe', the former Polish model, who filed a suit against the fallen Hollywood mogul, in October, last year. Under the pseudonym 'Jane Doe', the now 33-year-old psychologist and psychotherapist alleged that in 2002, just a few days after they met, Weinstein invited her for lunch, but instead took her to his New York apartment. There he "aggressively and threateningly" demanded sex and "instructed her to take off her clothes", forced her to touch his genitals while he "grabbed her breasts".
When she resisted, he threatened her that she won't find work, unless she cedes to his demands. Weinstein's lawyer Benjamin Brafman had refuted 'Jane Doe's allegations, calling them "preposterous". "Eventually, just as others have been exposed to be liars, this uncorroborated allegation that is almost 20 years old will be shown to be patently false," Brafman said, at that time.
Why did Kaja Sokola reveal her identity, now?
Sokola removed herself from the earlier lawsuit and filed a new one, in her own name. She is said to have been partly motivated by the monetary settlement of $25 million, reached with dozens of women.
"I cannot accept the proposed "global settlement" as fair or just. There is no accountability for the perpetrators, insufficient compensation for all of the victims, and millions of dollars going to people that I believe enabled Weinstein," Sokola said in a statement on Thursday. "Therefore, today I am filing my own case, in my own name", she added.
In the fresh lawsuit, Sokola has reiterated the allegations, she levelled, in her previous year's suit. In her statement, she also described, how the incident made her leave acting.
Her lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, said, "While others may have decided to settle, albeit under some of the most offensive and one-sided terms, we hope that the filing of this complaint encourages other victims and the New York attorney general to join us as we continue our efforts at holding Harvey Weinstein and his enablers accountable".
Sexual assault allegations and criminal case to be initiated, next year
About 90 women, including leading actresses, like Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek, have accused Weinstein of sexual assault or harassment. A criminal case against him is set to begin from January 6, next year. The case doesn't involve Sokola or the above-mentioned actresses.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to five charges of sexual assault relating to two women. One of the women has alleged Weinstein raped her in 2013, while the other has claimed, he forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006.
