Latest news with #MimiHaley
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein accuser blames surprise reveal of her long-lost journal for disgraced producer walking on sex assault charge at NYC retrial
A former Polish model who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault blamed the surprise revelation of her decade-old journal – and her sister's betrayal – for jurors not finding him guilty of the rap this week. Kaja Sokola, 39, admitted feeling deeply hurt over a dramatic showdown on the stand when she learned that her sister had given her long-lost, private Alcoholics Anonymous recovery journal to Weinstein's defense attorneys. 'I don't think there would be a verdict like that if my sister didn't give that journal,' she told The Post Friday. The lawyers used the journal – which mentioned two people who sexually assaulted Sokola, but not Weinstein – to sow doubt over her accusations that the Tinseltown terror forcibly performed oral sex on her at a Tribeca hotel in 2006, days shy of her 20th birthday. 'They were trying to use the dirtiest tactics that they can,' she said. But Sokola said she was still very happy the jury at Weinstein's bombshell Manhattan retrial convicted him on another woman's accusations because it ensures the perv producer likely will spend the rest of his life in prison. The squabbling jurors on Wednesday found Weinstein, 73, guilty of a criminal sex act charge for allegedly assaulting Miriam 'Mimi' Haley, a former TV production assistant. But they acquitted the disgraced sex fiend on the same charge connected to Sokola's accusations, which she had detailed in tear-filled testimony last month. Jurors also couldn't reach a verdict on a rape count stemming from a third victim, Jessica Mann, leading to a mistrial on that charge. Sokola said the outcome regarding her charge didn't matter so long as Weinstein was held accountable for his predatory behavior. 'I'm not bitter,' she said, but added, 'I was surprised.' The psychotherapist's path to the witness stand came after an appeals court overturned Weinstein's conviction in his watershed 2020 Manhattan trial, in which Haley and Mann had testified, but not Sokola. Prosecutors brought Haley and Mann back for the retrial, and also asked Sokola to testify — which she said was a difficult decision for her to make. 'It is easy to forget we have this strength – it is not gone, it is there,' she told The Post. Sokola testified that Weinstein assaulted her three times, starting when she was just 16 in 2002. But during cross-examination Weinstein's lawyers confronted her with the journal, which they said had been given to them by her sister, who testified earlier in the trial for the prosecution. It included entries on 'rape' and 'forced sex' about other people who had allegedly sexually abused Sokola, but that only mentioned the Hollywood producer once. Sokola contended she wrote about Weinstein's alleged rape in other diaries she no longer has access to — and felt blindsided by her sister's apparent collaboration with the producer's defense. 'She manipulated the situation and chose this one workbook,' the former model said. Weinstein's attorney Arthur Aidala didn't return a call for comment. Sokola, despite her painful experience, said she would not discourage survivors of sexual assault from coming forward. 'Don't stay alone with that, it's the most important thing,' she said.
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Harvey Weinstein found guilty of sex assault in split verdict as jury deadlocks over rape charge & acquits on 3rd count
A JURY has reached a split verdict in the landmark retrial of disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein. Jurors convicted Weinstein, 73, of one of the two criminal sexual assault counts he was facing, but were deadlocked on the rape charge. 3 3 3 Weinstein was given a new trial after last year's bombshell decision to overturn his 2020 conviction in New York for rape and sexual assault. The shocking ruling by a New York Appeals Court set in motion the retail, which began on April 23. Following five days of deliberation, the 12-person jury convicted Weinstein of engaging in a criminal sex act with actress Mimi Haley. However, jurors acquitted the ailing Weinstein of engaging in a criminal sex act with model Kaja Sokola. The jury was deadlocked on the rape charge against Weinstein, who allegedly sexually assaulted actress Jessica Mann in 2013. Judge Curtis Farber dismissed jurors for the day but informed them that they will reconvene on Thursday to continue deliberating on the rape count. The disgraced Miramax founder denied all allegations throughout the case as his lawyer, Arthur Aidala, said during closing statements that "he's the one being abused." Five years after his initial sentencing, a new alleged victim came forward to testify in the retrial. Model Sokola took the stand for the first time as she accused Weinstein of forcing oral sex on her in 2006. The ailing movie mogul was convicted by a jury in Los Angeles in 2022 for several counts of sexual assault and sentenced to 16 years. No matter the outcome of the New York retrial Weinstein would still remain jailed on those charges. Aidala ended his closing statements by insisting that Weinstein's relationships with the women were "transactional" and that they were all angry that their film careers failed. "If this guy wasn't Harvey Weinstein, would we even be here?' Aidala asked the jury. District Attorney Nicole Blumberg argued that Weinstein was never interested in the victims' careers - only their bodies. "The defense is no victim in this case — and to suggest otherwise is offensive," Blumberg said. Weinstein was serving a 23-year sentence in New York when his conviction was overturned last April. Officials ruled that the trial made an error by allowing irrelevant testimonies from three additional accusers. This time around, Weinstein said he wanted to take the stand in the trial to defend himself. However, his lawyers shot down the idea, just like they did during his original trial in New York City. While Weinstein awaited his verdict, he gave a rare interview to Fox 5's Good Day New York anchor Rosanna Scotto where he said he understood why he was blocked from testifying. "I'm not afraid of the DA, but this was the best advice and this is the advice you often hear: don't take the stand if you don't have to," Weinstein said. 'He wanted to testify, and we respect that instinct,' Weinstein's spokesperson Juda Engelmayer told Deadline on Monday. 'At this stage, doing so would subject him to scrutiny far beyond the scope of the current charges — raising issues that could unfairly damage his credibility. Our position is one of caution, not evasion.' CANDACE OWENS INTERVIEW While he wasn't allowed to testify, he proclaimed his innocence from prison in a bizarre recent interview with right-wing political commentator Candace Owens last month. Weinstein said he "made mistakes," but that he never committed any crime. "I hurt my family. I hurt my friends. I cheated on my wife, and that was a mistake, a terrible mistake," he told Owens in his first on-camera interview in eight years. "But I did not commit these crimes. I swear that before God and the people watching now and on my family. I'm wrongfully accused. "But justice has to know the difference between what is immoral and what is illegal." Weinstein said the sex scandal has left him friendless and alone. 'They are frightened to death. They are frightened that they're going to be canceled, that they're not going to be able to work," he said about his former friends. "I tried to get my people to stand up and even testify in the trial. And nothing." Harvey Weinstein Trial Timeline October 5, 2017 - An explosive story by New York Times reports Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein reached legal settlements with eight women who accused him of sexual harassment spanning over three decades. The piece sparks an avalanche of sexual assault allegations against him. Weinstein is fired from his own company, his wife leaves him, and the #MeToo movement is born. October 10, 2017 - The New Yorker magazine releases a story detailing other accusations against Weinstein. May 25, 2018: Weinstein is arrested on charges of first and third degree rape for one victim, and first-degree criminal sex act for another, later revealed to be marketing executive Lucia Evans. The woman who claims she was raped by Weinstein in 2013 has not been publicly identified. Weinstein is released after appearing in Manhattan Criminal Court and handing over his passport and a $1 million cashier's check to cover his bail. May 25, 2018 - Weinstein is arrested on charges of first and third degree rape for one victim and a first-degree criminal sex act for another. He is released after paying $1 million bail. May 30, 2018 - Weinstein is indicted on the sex crimes charges. June 5, 2018 - He pleads not guilty to all charges against him. July 2, 2018 - A Manhattan grand jury charges Weinstein with additional sex crimes, including two counts of predatory sexual assault and one count of criminal sexual assault. October 11, 2018 - Prosecutors drop one of the six charges against Weinstein. January 6, 2020 - The Los Angeles district attorney charges Weinstein with raping an Italian model in 2013. February 24, 2020 - Weinstein is found guilty in his Manahttan trial of criminal sexual assault and rape in the third degree. He is sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York. December 19, 2022 - A jury in Los Angeles convicts him of three of seven counts of sexual assault. February 23, 2023 - Weinstein is sentenced to 16 years in prison for rape in his Los Angeles trial. April 25, 2024 - In a bombshell decision, his New York conviction is overturned and a new trial is ordered. April 23, 2025 - Weinstein's retrial begins in New York with new accuser Kaja Sokola taking the stand. Owens asked Weinstein about Gwyneth Paltrow, who previously said the exec had made a pass at her in a hotel room that sparked Brad Pitt, her boyfriend at the time, to tell him to leave her alone. Weinstein slammed Paltrow's story as a "fabrication." 'At the end of the meeting, we had a glass of Champagne. As I was walking out the door, I said to her, 'I'd love you to give me a massage,'" Weinstein said. He said Paltrow didn't have much of a response as she left the hotel. "That was it. I didn't put my hand on her. I didn't touch her. I definitely made a pass. I guess, you know, you could call it that, but that was the sum total of that situation,' he said. Later in the interview, Weinstein spoke more casually about how he's kept himself busy in prison after he "decided to do my high school curriculum over." "You know, if I wasn't in prison, I wouldn't have read those books again,' he said, adding that he wants to remake a movie of Farewell to Arms. TKTKTKWeinstein's sentencing hearing has been set for XXXX. If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Harvey Weinstein gets good news AND bad news with sex assault verdict after juror issued chilling courtroom threat
Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of sexually assaulting his former assistant but not guilty of raping a teenage model. Weinstein 's retrial on rape and sexual assault charges before a New York Supreme Criminal Court jury in Manhattan lasted well over a month. He was convicted of sexually assaulting aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and raping production assistant Mimi Haley in 2006. But last year, the New York Court of Appeals astonishingly ruled that Weinstein did not receive a fair trial - and tossed out his 23-year sentence. Mann and Haley restated their cases during the trial, and Polish ex-model Kaja Sokola was added to the mix, alleging Weinstein forced oral sex on her in 2006 when she was just 19. His lawyers told the court the women consented to sex acts with Weinstein as a 'quid pro quo' to further their careers, and plan to appeal the guilty verdict. 'This trial was fair until we got to the jury deliberations,' Weinstein's PR consultant Juda Engelmayer said. 'More than one juror had complained that other jurors had preconceived notions and are using their beliefs of Harvey's life as evidence of guilt. The foreman said he was threatened by other jurors. 'We believe there are serious appellate issues, and they will be explored.' Weinstein was also jailed in Los Angeles for 16 years for rape, forced oral copulation, and third-degree sexual misconduct in 2022, and acquitted of four other charges. His lawyers filed an appeal weeks after the verdict, which is being considered by the California Court of Appeal. More to come.
CTV News
11-06-2025
- CTV News
Weinstein jury deliberations scrutinize one accuser's account
Warning: This story contains graphic details NEW YORK — Jurors in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial are drilling down on one of the three charges against him: a rape accusation from a woman who also said she had a consensual relationship with him. The seven female and five male jurors are poised to start their fifth day of deliberations Wednesday by re-hearing Jessica Mann's testimony that he raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. Mann's accusation was an apparent focus of Tuesday's deliberations, and the jury ended the day by asking to be re-read her testimony about what happened between her and Weinstein at the hotel. The group also indicated it wants to continue privately reviewing her emails with Weinstein and some 2017 medical records concerning her reaction to news accounts of other women's allegations against him. The former Hollywood powerbroker, 73, has pleaded not guilty to raping Mann and to forcing oral sex on two other women, Mimi Haley and Kaja Sokola. The Oscar-winning producer maintains that he never sexually assaulted or raped anyone, and his lawyers portrayed his accusers as opportunists who accepted his advances because they wanted a leg up in the entertainment world. While all three women stayed in contact with Weinstein despite what they say were assaults, Mann had a particularly complex history with him. During days on the witness stand, she testified that they had a consensual relationship that exploded into rape, yet continued afterward. Weinstein was one of the movie industry's most powerful figures until a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him became public in 2017, fuelling the #MeToo movement and eventually leading to criminal charges. He originally was convicted in 2020 of raping Mann and forcing oral sex on Haley. Sokola's allegation was added last year, after New York state's highest court overturned the 2020 conviction and sent the case back for retrial. Meanwhile, Weinstein is appealing a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles. After a couple of days of apparent interpersonal friction, the retrial jury worked through Tuesday with no further complaints. The Associated Press generally does not identify people without their permission if they say they have been sexually assaulted. Sokola, Mann and Haley have agreed to be named. Jennifer Peltz, The Associated Press Resources for sexual assault survivors in Canada If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Weinstein jury deliberations scrutinize one accuser's account
Jurors in Harvey Weinstein 'ssex crimes retrial are drilling down on one of the three charges against him: a rape accusation from a woman who also said she had a consensual relationship with him. The seven female and five male jurors are poised to start their fifth day of deliberations Wednesday by re-hearing Jessica Mann's testimony that he raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. Mann's accusation was an apparent focus of Tuesday's deliberations, and the jury ended the day by asking to be re-read her testimony about what happened between her and Weinstein at the hotel. The group also indicated it wants to continue privately reviewing her emails with Weinstein and some 2017 medical records concerning her reaction to news accounts of other women's allegations against him. The former Hollywood powerbroker, 73, has pleaded not guilty to raping Mann and to forcing oral sex on two other women, Mimi Haley and Kaja Sokola. The Oscar-winning producer maintains that he never sexually assaulted or raped anyone, and his lawyers portrayed his accusers as opportunists who accepted his advances because they wanted a leg up in the entertainment world. While all three women stayed in contact with Weinstein despite what they say were assaults, Mann had a particularly complex history with him. During days on the witness stand, she testified that they had a consensual relationship that exploded into rape, yet continued afterward. Weinstein was one of the movie industry's most powerful figures until a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him became public in 2017, fueling the #MeToo movement and eventually leading to criminal charges. He originally was convicted in 2020 of raping Mann and forcing oral sex on Haley. Sokola's allegation was added last year, after New York state's highest court overturned the 2020 conviction and sent the case back for retrial. Meanwhile, Weinstein is appealing a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles. After a couple of days of apparent interpersonal friction, the retrial jury worked through Tuesday with no further complaints. The Associated Press generally does not identify people without their permission if they say they have been sexually assaulted. Sokola, Mann and Haley have agreed to be named.
