Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers stunned the courtroom Tuesday when they produced a decade-old personal diary belonging to accuser Kaja Sokola – a dramatic reveal that sparked an emotional showdown over the unexpected piece of evidence.
The diary, which Sokola confirmed was in her handwriting, contained references to individuals who sexually abused her, defense attorney Michael Cibella told prosecutors and Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber just before jurors were brought in for Weinstein’s ongoing sex-crimes retrial.
While the personal journal includes detailed entries about “rape” and “forced sex,” the only reference to the 73-year-old disgraced Hollywood producer was a single line stating he had “promised to help with her career, and nothing came of it,” Cibella said.
Sokola, who accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her when she was 16, appeared visibly distressed when her diary was introduced during her testimony.
The former teen model told the court it was a private Alcoholics Anonymous recovery journal she believed was kept in Poland – and was baffled over how the defense had obtained it.
“This is very inappropriate,” Sokola, a 39-year-old psychotherapist, told the court, wearing a tan dress and blue blazer, and clutching a neon pink stress ball.
“I’m a psychologist. I would never do this to my patient, and I will not do this to myself.”
Prosecutors had not previously seen the diary – filled with “gratitude lists” and written primarily in Polish – which Weinstein’s defense claimed dated back to 2015.
Despite her objection, Farber ruled that while Sokola’s privacy would be respected, the defense would be allowed to ask limited questions regarding the structure and timing of the journal entries.
“There are names of people… This is privacy,” a rattled Sokola told the judge.
The introduction of the diary came during an aggressive cross-examination where Weinstein’s defense aimed to challenge Sokola’s credibility, motivations and the timeline of her allegations.
Weinstein’s lawyers compelled Sokola to read from the journal, which contained a “situation traumas” column with 42 names that included at least two people who had sexually assaulted her – neither one, she said, was Weinstein.
“It proves that I haven’t spoken about this for many years,” she tearfully told the jury on her third day on the witness stand.
“There are names of people there who I definitely would not be bringing up. This is thin ice, I would say. Definitely unethical. I am not on trial here.”
Sokola noted that she had included Weinstein in her journal – which the defense claimed was provided to them by her sister – as someone who had previously wronged her.
In her diary entry, she wrote that “Harvey W,” who was listed at number 16, was “promising me help,” but “nothing ever came of it.”
Sokola is testifying publicly for the first time against Weinstein, who is facing sex crime charges and up to 25 years behind bars if convicted.
Weinstein, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, was originally convicted at trial in 2022, but that conviction was overturned last year.
Sokola, unlike other alleged victims, did not testify at the first trial, but told jurors last week that Weinstein allegedly assaulted her three times — the first when she was a 16-year-old model and aspiring actress in 2002.
She’s set to return to the stand Wednesday for the end of her testimony.
