‘Taxi Driver’ author Paul Schrader accused of sexually assaulting his former assistant

Paul Schrader, the screenwriter behind Taxi Driver, has been accused of sexually assaulting his former private assistant.

It was alleged in civil courtroom paperwork seen by The Impartial that the unnamed 26-year-old lady was sexually assaulted and harassed over the course of a number of years, and was fired after refusing to acquiesce to the American Gigolo director’s advances.

It was additionally claimed that in February, he had reneged on a settlement that was meant to maintain the allegations confidential, per an affidavit filed by Jane Doe on Thursday night time (April 3) within the New York State Supreme Courtroom.

Schrader’s legal professional, Philip Kessler, instructed the publication on Friday that he had solely simply acquired the submitting and was nonetheless reviewing its contents.

“I can inform you that this appears to me to be a determined, frivolous, and opportunistic declare,” Kessler mentioned. “The underlying intentions of the plaintiff right here include many very materials inaccuracies, and are clearly designed to color Mr. Schrader in a really false mild, in an effort to intimidate and coerce him into settling.

“And simply to be very clear, Mr. Schrader by no means had intercourse in any type with the plaintiff, nor did he ever try such a factor. We’ll vigorously defend this.”

In the meantime, legal professional Menaka Fernando, a member of Doe’s authorized staff, instructed The Impartial that Doe was “merely searching for to implement the settlement settlement between the events resolving her sexual harassment and sexual assault claims”.

They added that that they had no additional feedback right now, and requested that the media respect the girl’s privateness.

The movement states the 78-year-old was conscious his behaviour was “unwelcome and offensive,” as is alleged to be evidenced by quite a few emails despatched to Doe. It continued to say Schrader had “used his place of energy over Ms. Doe to sexually assault her, by luring her right into a lodge room and forcibly grabbing her and kissing her, regardless of her verbal protests.

“Three days later, he pressured Ms. Doe into his lodge room, below the guise of packing his baggage for him, and he uncovered his penis to her.”

Doe labored for the filmmaker from Might 2021 till her termination in September 2024, all through which era she alleged Schrader pressured her to work in a “sexually hostile, intimidating, and humiliating atmosphere on a every day, if not hourly, foundation”.

The movement notes that along with sexual assault, there was a sustained “barrage” of harassment by Schrader, which included “pressured publicity of his genitals, undesirable sexual advances, repeatedly professing his love and need to the touch Ms. Doe (each verbally and through quite a few emails), and near-constant inappropriate sexual questions and lewd and misogynistic commentary.”

Whereas premiering his newest movie, Oh, Canada on the Cannes Movie Competition final Might, Schrader allegedly “demanded Ms. Doe go to his lodge room, trapped her inside, grabbed her arms, and thrust his face into hers to kiss her in opposition to her will, after which additional restrained her in an effort to maintain her within the room earlier than she managed to free herself and flee the lodge room.”

“Three days later, Ms. Doe returned to Defendant Schrader’s lodge room after receiving quite a few calls and offended textual content messages, wherein Defendant Schrader claimed that he was ‘dying’ and couldn’t pack his personal baggage,” Doe’s movement added.

“Afraid, Ms. Doe reluctantly acquiesced. Upon arriving, nevertheless, Defendant Schrader opened the door to his lodge room carrying nothing however an open bathrobe along with his penis absolutely uncovered. As Ms. Doe tried to pack Mr. Schrader’s baggage in terrified silence, he repeatedly commented, ‘I’m so sweaty. I sweated by means of the bedsheets. Really feel how moist they’re.’ Ms. Doe packed his baggage as rapidly as she might, and left.”

It’s alleged he wrote to her final 12 months acknowledging her repulsion, writing: “I sense you recoil each time I’ve the impulse to the touch you.” The movement states he later fired Doe after she refused to succumb to his sexual advances, and is alleged to have written an  e mail that appeared to recognise his predatory actions.

“So I fucked up. Massive time… ,” he purportedly wrote. “If I’ve change into a Harvey Weinstein in your thoughts then after all you haven’t any alternative however to place me within the rear view mirror.” On his Fb web page, Schrader had beforehand made a number of posts referencing disgraced director Weinstein, in addition to the MeToo period, as seen under. He additionally mentioned “sexual predation” in Hollywood was as soon as “thought-about a perk of the system”.

Following the “brutal assault” on Doe and his “numerous different acts of sexual harassment,” the movement states she has skilled nightmares, excessive anxiousness, and trauma, withdrawing “nearly utterly from her former life”.

Final month, an legal professional for Schrader contacted Doe’s authorized staff to share mentioned his shopper had been unwell and had achieved some “soul looking”, which resulted in him not desirous to pay Doe the quantity agreed to below the settlement settlement.

“In line with Protection Counsel, Defendant Schrader additionally acknowledged that he couldn’t ‘stay with himself’ if he carried out his obligations below the Settlement Settlement,” the movement says. In flip, Doe filed Thursday night time’s movement to compel him to conform along with his obligations, revealing the allegations publicly.

The quantity of the settlement stays confidential, with particulars having been redacted in courtroom filings.