Filmmaker Paul Schrader is the subject of a lawsuit by a former personal assistant, who alleges that he sexually assaulted and harassed her during her time of employment, reports The Independent newspaper.
The UK title adds that these allegations, the subject of a lawsuit filed in civil court by the unnamed woman, came to light after Schrader reneged on a confidential settlement previously agreed and the complainant filed a new affadavit in New York State Supreme Court.
AP News reports that the complainant is seeking a judge’s order to enforce the agreement after Schrader said he couldn’t go through with it. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Schrader’s attorney Philip Kessler told The Independent that the filmmaker – whose screenwriting credits include Taxi Driver, American Gigolo and Raging Bull and an Oscar nomination for 2017’s First Reformed – denied all the allegations made against him, calling it “a desperate, frivolous and opportunistic claim.” We have reached out to Schrader’s legal representatives for comment.
The former personal assistant, aged 26, made allegations in the lawsuit arising fro her time working for Schrader 2021 to September 2024, including:
That Schrader used his position of power to sexually assault the complainant, luring her into a hotel room, forcibly grabbing and kissing her, then three days later forcing her into his hotel room where he exposed himself;
Schrader “force[d] her to work in a sexually hostile, intimidating, and humiliating environment on a daily, if not hourly, basis”;
A “barrage” of harassment by Schrader, including, among other things, “forced exposure of his genitals, unwanted sexual advances, repeatedly professing his love and desire to touch Ms. Doe (both verbally and via numerous emails), and near-constant inappropriate sexual questions and lewd and misogynistic commentary”;
Schrader fired her last September after she rejected his advances.
Schrader’s attorney said: “The underlying intentions of the plaintiff here contain many very material inaccuracies, and are obviously designed to paint Mr. Schrader in a very false light, in an effort to intimidate and coerce him into settling. And just to be very clear, Mr. Schrader never had sex in any form with the plaintiff, nor did he ever attempt such a thing. We will vigorously defend this.”
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