On Monday two women held a press conference, alongside their attorney Lisa Bloom, during which they alleged to have been sexually assaulted by film star and martial artist Steven Seagal. Both women claimed the assaults occurred when they were teenagers, per The Washington Post.
These are just the latest in a string of accusations to have been levied against Seagal over the last six months. In October, Radley Balko of The Washington Post wrote story called ‘Steven Seagal: Drug warrior, honorary cop, alleged serial sex abuser’ that detailed the various accusations aimed at Seagal.
After those allegations, and after the accusations of sexual assault by movie producer Harvey Weinstein became public knowledge, actress Portia de Rossi shared a Seagal story of her own on twitter.
My final audition for a Steven Segal movie took place in his office. He told me how important it was to have chemistry off-screen as he sat me down and unzipped his leather pants. I️ ran out and called my agent. Unfazed, she replied, “well, I didn’t know if he was your type.”
— Portia de Rossi (@portiaderossi) November 8, 2017
“My final audition for a Steven Seagal movie took place in his office. He told me how important it was to have chemistry off-screen as he sat me down and unzipped his leather pants. I ran out and called my agent. Unfazed, she replied, ‘well, I didn’t know if he was your type,’” posted de Rossi.
It was de Rossi’s tweet that prompted one of the most recent accusers to come forward. That woman, who was at the press conference with attorney Lisa Bloom on Monday, said she auditioned for a Seagal movie when she was 17 in the early 1990s.
The movie was about Genghis Khan and Seagal claimed he was the director; the project never materialized.
“I was beyond excited to have a chance to audition for a role in one of his films because I had grown up admiring him,” she said at the press conference.
After two meetings in public places, Seagal allegedly invited the woman to a private audition. “He explained that he would like to evaluate my figure to see if I would be suitable for the role,” she said. “His assistant told me to arrive wearing a bikini or bra and panties underneath my clothing. As this is quite standard in the modeling industry, I agreed to do so.”
The woman said she was taken to Seagal’s room at The W Hotel in Beverly Hills by one of his assistants. She said the assistant had remarked on multiple occasions that “Steven’s word is as good as gold,” which the woman said she found strange.
In Seagal’s room the woman alleged she was left alone with the actor. She said he then asked her to take off her clothes and do a catwalk for him, which she did despite feeling nervous. After that the woman said that Seagal told her he wanted to “act out a romantic scene” to gauge their chemistry.
The woman said she declined. However, at that moment, she accuses Seagal of groping her and sliding his hand between her legs. After yelling for him to stop, the woman said Seagal backed away. She said she then tried to leave, but Seagal’s personal security guard blocked the doorway until Seagal motioned for him to move away.
The other accuser who was at Monday’s press conference claimed she met Seagal in 1993 when she was 18. The woman was playing an extra in the 1994 movie On Deadly Ground. She alleged that Seagal attacked her at the wrap-party for that movie.
The woman said Monday that when she arrived at the “party” she was told by Seagal that everyone else had left. She said she was then led to a bedroom.
“He closed the door and approached me from behind. He started kissing my neck and taking off my clothes,” she said. “I was in shock. I was completely caught off guard. Seagal was more than twice my size and twice my age. I was not sexually active nor had I ever been naked in front of a man before. I froze.”
The woman claimed that Seagal then took off his robe and raped her. “There was nothing consensual about this,” she said. The woman said after the alleged assault Seagal asked her if she needed money. She says she said no and then ran for the door, got in her car and drove away.
The woman said that Seagal attempted to contact her the next day, but she ignored him and never spoke to him again.
Representatives for Seagal did not respond to The Washington Post’s request for comment regarding Monday’s accusations. In a January appearance on InfoWars Seagal claimed that women who had accused him of sexual assault and harassment were being paid to lie about him, though he offered no evidence of this.
On Monday it was revealed that both of Seagal’s most recent accusers have filed police reports against him. Bloom, their attorney, said she was representing both women pro bono.
“These are very serious allegations by a number of people. My two clients are not asking for any money; they’re just asking for accountability. They were 17 and 18 years old,” said Bloom.
Bloom has since said that two more woman have contacted her regarding allegations against Seagal.
PRIOR ACCUSATIONS AGAINST SEAGAL
Radley Balko’s Washington Post op-ed Steven Seagal: Drug warrior, honorary cop, alleged serial sex abuser detailed a number of accusations against the actor that date from the 1990s to as recently as 2010.
In 2010, a former model accused Seagal of sexual assault, as reported by CNN. In that case, the former model – who was 23 at the time – answered a Craigslist ad for an executive assistant job at Seagal’s production company.
The 23-year-old later dropped her suit against Seagal. It was not disclosed whether or not this was the result of a settlement.
The Washington Post reported that Seagal faced a similar lawsuit in 2001 from another woman who was hired to be his assistant. That report also stated that Seagal is accused of inappropriately asking multiple women to participate in sexual massages. Another woman is reported as accusing Seagal of putting his hands down her pants. Four female staffers from the 1991 film Out for Justice are also alleged to have quit due to sexual harassment from Seagal.
If you wish to speak to a trained professional about an experience regarding sexual assault, support can be found with the following organizations:
USA – RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800.656.HOPE (4673) or visit online.rainn.org.
Canada – DAWN-RAFH Canada
UK and Ireland – Women’s Aid: 0808-2000-247
Rest of the World – HotPeachPages
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