• Harvey Weinstein's retrial begins, facing accusations from three women.
• The trial introduces a new accuser, Kaja Sokola, alongside original accusers Jessica Mann and Miriam Haley.
• Prosecutors describe Weinstein as exploiting his power in Hollywood to abuse women.
• Defense argues the relationships were consensual and challenges the credibility of witnesses.
• Weinstein's 2020 conviction was overturned, prompting this retrial with a new jury.

The retrial of Harvey Weinstein commenced on April 23, 2025, in New York, as the disgraced former Hollywood mogul faces renewed allegations of sexual assault from three women, including one new accuser, Kaja Sokola, who claims she was assaulted by Weinstein when she was just 16 years old. Assistant District Attorney Shannon Lucey outlined Weinstein's pattern of abuse during the opening statements, stating that he used his significant power to make his victims feel small and helpless in his presence, often ignoring their pleas to stop, according to nytimes and channelnewsasia.

Weinstein is accused of sexually assaulting former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and raping actress Jessica Mann in 2013. The newly added allegation involves Sokola, who claims Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006 when she was 19 years old. This retrial is particularly significant as it revisits the past accusations within the context of the #MeToo movement, which gained momentum following the public allegations against Weinstein in 2017, according to aljazeera, abcnews, and huffpost.

During the trial, Lucey described how Weinstein exploited his industry position, presenting a narrative of a man who used coercive tactics to exploit vulnerable women aspiring for success in Hollywood. She recalled Haleyi’s account, emphasizing the physical and emotional power imbalance that limited the victims’ ability to resist Weinstein’s advances. Lucey described a scene where Haleyi was cornered by Weinstein, who allegedly forced oral sex on her despite her repeated refusals, as noted in nytimes, dawn, and indiatimes.

Weinstein’s defense attorney, Arthur Aidala, countered the prosecutor's allegations by framing the relationships as consensual, arguing that there was no evidence of force or coercion. He suggested that the women engaged freely with Weinstein and continued to maintain connections with him after the alleged incidents. Aidala stated, "The casting couch was not a crime scene," emphasizing a narrative where the interactions were transactional in nature, which he believes undermines the credibility of the accusations, as reported by bbc and reuters.

This retrial follows the New York Court of Appeals' decision to overturn Weinstein’s previous conviction from 2020, citing the admission of witness testimony that was not relevant to the charges he faced at that time. The trial is expected to explore deeply the dynamics of power, consent, and the complexities of sexual encounters in Hollywood, as noted in reports by scmp and npr.