Gwyneth Paltrow Dragged Into Harvey Weinstein's Sexual Assault Trial

Harvey Weinstein's retrial for his overturned New York convictions is in full swing, with a new sexual assault victim sharing shocking details and name-dropping Gwyneth Paltrow and others in her testimony.

The Manhattan Supreme Court recently heard from Kaja Sokola, a 39-year-old woman who claims she was sexually abused by the disgraced film producer when she was 16. She, unlike the other alleged victims, did not testify at Weinstein's first conviction trial.

The new witness shared her traumatic tale, claiming Harvey Weinstein enjoyed name-dropping the female A-listers he allegedly helped rise to fame, like Hollywood veteran Gwyneth Paltrow. However, the former Miramax co-founder remains adamant he did nothing wrong.

During her testimony, Sokola recalled the moment Weinstein allegedly assaulted her when she was just 16. She told the court he got "upset" when she tried to scream and told her to work on her "stubbornness" if she wanted to succeed in Hollywood.

Weinstein allegedly namedropped the female stars he helped rise to fame, listing famous actresses like Penelope Cruz and Paltrow. Sokola claimed he used these names to threaten her, noting he told her, "I have to listen to him if I want to proceed with that career."

The alleged victim broke down crying while recounting the horrific memory, telling the court Weinstein coerced her into silence by stressing "this has to stay between us." The New York Post reported that while she recounted her tale in tears, Weinstein remained impassive in his wheelchair.

Sokola, originally from Poland, explained that she endured Weinstein's unsolicited advances out of fear and for the promises he made to boost her career. She recounted one moment where the movie producer and his driver picked her up for lunch but took her to his Soho loft instead.

Weinstein, per her claims, demanded she strip and follow him to the bathroom where he touched her vagina and forced her to touch his penis.

"It was the most horrifying thing I've ever experienced until that time," Sokola lamented. She stated she saw Weinstein's eyes in the mirror during the incident, and "they looked black and scary. I will never forget this."

Despite her fear, Sokola still hoped Weinstein would make her a star as he promised. So she met him again in 2004, where he allegedly groped her breasts during a car ride and tried to fight off his advances. This incident wasn't the last, as Sokola stayed in touch with Weinstein, leading to a third assault in 2006.

Sokola claimed she was 19 when Weinstein orally "raped" her in his hotel room. The alleged incident happened after he got her a part as an extra in "The Nanny Diaries." Because of this gig, she believed Weinstein when he asked her to come over to look at a script.

The alleged victim claimed he pushed her onto the bed before taking off her shoes and ripping off her stockings and underwear. "I kept saying, please don't, please stop — I don't want this… But he didn't listen, he didn't listen," Sokola told the court, adding:

"I didn't scream, I didn't kick, I started saying, please stop, please stop. I couldn't move. He was too heavy, he was too strong. The force was too strong. I couldn't move in any way."

She claimed the encounter left her feeling broken, like "my soul was removed from me." Sokola's testimony marks the first time she has testified publicly against Weinstein, and she is expected to continue her story on Friday morning.

Unlike Sokolawho didn't testify at Weinstein's first sexual assault conviction, Miriam Haley returned to court to ensure justice is served.The Blast covered the story, reporting that the alleged victim echoed similar sentiments to her past testimony against the movie producer.

She took the stand weeks earlier in April, recalling the moment Weinstein sexually assaulted her in his Manhattan apartment. Haley noted the incident occurred in 2006 after her alleged abuser gifted her a ticket to the premiere of "Clerks II" in Los Angeles.

Haley claimed she was sitting on the sofa when Weinstein suddenly tried to kiss her before pinning her down and forcing her onto a bed. She tried to avoid the attack by citing her period but Weinstein allegedly didn't care and removed her tampon before raping her.

Haley first testified about her alleged encounter with Weinstein five years ago when the movie producer was convicted of sexual assault in New York. However, the conviction did not stick after an appeals court sided with Weinstein in 2024.

At the time, the appeals court ruled that his constitutional rights had been violated during the trial. Now, prosecutors are pursuing another case against Weinstein while he maintains his innocence. He won another small victory in April following a transfer petition.

Weinstein's lawyers argued that he should be moved from the infamous Rikers Island prison to Bellevue Hospital because the penitentiary failed to manage his health properly. His transfer plea was granted, allowing the former media giant to escape his prison cell until the outcome of his retrial.

Will Harvey Weinstein be proven guilty again, or will he escape the sexual assault allegations?