British actor-comedian Russell Brand has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a film extra on the New York City set of a 2011 romantic comedy.
Key points:
- The lawsuit was filed by a woman who says she was an extra on set of the 2011 film
- The woman is seeking unspecified damages over the allegations
- Russell Brand has denied all previous allegations but has yet to comment on the lawsuit
The suit followed a recent flurry of allegations made against the 48-year-old performer by several women accusing him of sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour.
Some of the allegations reported on by UK news media dated back 20 years.
UK police have said they were investigating a number of the allegations, but the New York lawsuit filed on Friday local time marked the first such accusation levelled in court.
It was brought in state court under New York's Adult Survivors Act, which gives accusers a one-year window to sue over alleged sexual abuse, even if statutes of limitations have expired.
Mr Brand starred as a boozing, philandering heir to a fortune in Arthur, which was distributed by Warner Bros Pictures.
The film, a box office dud that drew generally negative reviews, was a remake of a highly successful 1981 movie starring Dudley Moore in the title role as a drunken New York City millionaire on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress when he falls for a free-spirited, working-class woman.
Warner Bros was also named as a defendant, along with other companies involved in the film production.
The lawsuit accused them of negligence and of aiding and abetting Mr Brand by tolerating his misconduct on set.
Mr Brand has denied ever engaging in non-consensual sex.
His representatives in New York and London did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the newly filed lawsuit. Neither did Warner Bros.
The complaint was brought forward by a woman identified only as Jane Doe, who said she was hired to appear as a cast extra in a scene filmed at Le Cirque restaurant in Manhattan in July of 2010.
According to the lawsuit, Mr Brand was visibly intoxicated during the production and exposed his genitalia to the plaintiff as he sat at a table staring at her, "openly and obviously in the presence of everyone on set," including film studio employees who allegedly treated his behaviour as acceptable.
Afterward, the complaint has alleged, Mr Brand followed the woman into a restroom, where he again pulled down his pants.
He then allegedly shoved her into a stall and forced her to perform a sexual act on him, all while a production crew member allegedly stood directly outside as if to guard the door.
The accuser said the assault caused "severe psychological injuries" and economic losses.
The suit is seeking unspecified money damages from Mr Brand on grounds of assault, battery, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress.
Reuters
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2023-11-04 07:20:34Z
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