Ben Affleck
Allegations: Actress Hilarie Burton said via Twitter on Oct. 10 that Ben Affleck groped her during an episode of "TRL" in 2003, when she was a host of the MTV show, according to an Oct. 11 Variety report.
Response: "I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize," Affleck tweeted on Oct. 11.
Affleck’s publicist did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Casey Affleck
Allegations: In July 2010, two women, Amanda White and Magdalena Gorka, filed sexual harassment suits against Affleck, accusing him of misconduct on the set of "I'm Still Here," the pseudo-documentary on Affleck's then-brother-in-law, Joaquin Phoenix. A spokeswoman for Affleck and a lawyer for the women said in September 2010 that the suit was settled, according to the Los Angeles Times. Affleck dropped out of presenting the award for best actress at the 2018 Oscars, Deadline reported Jan. 28, and skipped the awards ceremony entirely after the allegations resurfaced in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Response: In an email to The New York Times in November 2016, he said about the allegations and lawsuits: “It was settled to the satisfaction of all. I was hurt and upset — I am sure all were — but I am over it. It was an unfortunate situation — mostly for the innocent bystanders of the families of those involved.”
A representative from William Morris Endeavor, Affleck’s talent agency, did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Aziz Ansari
Allegations: In a Jan. 13 Babe.net article, Grace, a 23-year-old Brooklyn-based photographer who asked that her real name not be used, said Aziz Ansari continuously ignored verbal cues that she wasn't interested in sex or any sexual activities while on a date. Grace said she felt forced to kiss him and perform oral sex on him.
Response: Ansari released a statement to E! News on Jan. 14 that said: "In September of last year, I met a woman at a party. We exchanged numbers. We texted back and forth and eventually went on a date. We went out to dinner, and afterwards we ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications was completely consensual. The next day, I got a text from her saying that although it may have seemed okay, upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable. It was true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned. I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said. I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue."
Ansari’s publicist did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Scott Baio
Allegations: On Jan. 27, Nicole Eggert alleged via Twitter that her former “Charles in Charge” co-star Scott Baio molested her starting when she was 14 and until she was 17, The Hollywood Reporter reported. She went on “Megyn Kelly Today” on Jan. 30 to elaborate on the allegations.
Response: In a 16-minute Facebook Live video on Jan. 27, Baio denied all of Eggert’s accusations and said he had a sexual relationship with her only after she had turned 18.
Baio’s agent did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Louis C.K.
Allegations: Dana Min Goodman, Julia Wolov, Abby Schachner, Rebecca Corry and one anonymous woman said in a Nov. 9 New York Times article that Louis C.K. had acted in a sexually inappropriate manner with them. Some described how he pulled out his penis without invitation while having a few drinks with him in his hotel room after a comedy festival. Others described instances of Louis C.K. masturbating in their presence without consent and in phone conversations together.
Response: Louis C.K. put out a statement the day after the Times story ran, which said in part: “These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was O.K. because I never showed a woman my dick without asking first, which is also true. But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your dick isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them.”
Louis C.K.’s legal representation did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Andy Dick
Allegations: Two sources told The Hollywood Reporter in a Oct. 31 article that Andy Dick’s allegedly inappropriate behavior included groping people’s genitals, unwanted kissing and licking and sexual propositions of at least four members of the production of "Raising Buchanan," an independent feature film. He was fired from the production after the sexual harassment accusations. The Hollywood Reporter could not reach any of the alleged victims.
Response: "I might have kissed somebody on the cheek to say goodbye and then licked them. That's my thing," Dick told The Hollywood Reporter after he confirmed he was fired from the production, but he denied groping anyone.
Dick’s manager declined Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Michael Douglas
Allegations: Journalist and author Susan Braudy alleged in a Jan. 18 story in The Hollywood Reporter that when she was working with Michael Douglas’ production company, Stonebridge Productions, in the late 1980s she was subjected to multiple instances of sexual harassment by Douglas. She described near-constant profane and sexually charged dialogue and inappropriate comments about her appearance and alleged that Douglas masturbated in front of her.
Response: Before The Hollywood Reporter published the article, Douglas talked to Deadline for a Jan. 9 Q&A session about the allegations. He acknowledged that he could have used “colorful language” while speaking to others in his accuser’s presence, but that the allegation about masturbation “is a complete lie, fabrication, no truth to it whatsoever.” He also told The Hollywood Reporter that Braudy’s account was "an unfortunate and complete fabrication."
Representatives from United Talent Agency, Douglas’ talent agency, did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Richard Dreyfuss
Allegations: Los Angeles-based writer Jessica Teich told Vulture in a Nov. 10 article that she experienced constant harassment over a two- to three-year period in the mid-1980s while she was working on one of Richard Dreyfuss’ projects as a researcher and junior writer. During this time, Teich alleged, Dreyfuss also had exposed himself to her.
Response: In a statement to Vulture, Dreyfuss denied exposing himself to Teich but said he did flirt with her and tried to kiss her as part of what he thought was "a consensual seduction ritual that went on and on for many years.” He said he was “horrified and bewildered to discover that it wasn’t consensual.”
Representatives for Dreyfuss did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
James Franco
Allegations: In a Jan. 11 Los Angeles Times report, five women accused James Franco of inappropriate or sexually exploitative behavior. Four of the women were students at Franco’s film school, and the fifth said he was her mentor.
Response: Franco’s attorney, Michael Plonsker, disputed all of the women’s allegations to the Los Angeles Times.
Representatives from United Talent Agency, Franco’s talent agency, did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Dustin Hoffman
Allegations: A number of women have accused Dustin Hoffman of sexually assaulting them in the 1980s and '90s. Anna Graham Hunter wrote a Nov. 1 column for The Hollywood Reporter about the harassment she faced as a 17-year-old production assistant on the set of the 1985 TV film adaptation of "Death of a Salesman," which starred Hoffman. The same day, Variety reported that "Genius" producer Wendy Riss Gatsiounis said that in 1991 Hoffman propositioned her and attempted to persuade her to leave with him to go to a store in a nearby hotel after a meeting to discuss adapting her play for a film starring Hoffman. Variety also reported Dec. 14 on three new allegations from the 1980s.
Response: In response to Hunter’s column, Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter, "I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am." But during a panel discussion Dec. 4, Hoffman denied Hunter’s accusations. "I still don't know who this woman is," Hoffman said. "I never met her. If I met her it was in concert with other people." And in a letter to Variety’s owner Penske Media Corp., Hoffman’s attorney, Mark A. Neubauer of Carlton Fields Jordan Burt, called the accusations “defamatory falsehoods.”
A representative from William Morris Endeavor, Hoffman’s talent agency, did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Stan Lee
Allegations: On Jan. 9, the Daily Mail reported that an unidentified owner of a nursing company accused Stan Lee of groping and harassing the nurses caring for him at his Hollywood Hills mansion. Separately, massage therapist Maria Carballo filed a lawsuit against Lee, according to an April 24 Chicago Tribune report, that accuses him of fondling himself and inappropriately grabbing her during massage appointments in a Chicago hotel in 2017.
Response: A lawyer representing Lee denied all allegations reported by the Daily Mail and the Chicago Tribune.
Representation for Lee did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Danny Masterson
Allegations: Five women have accused Danny Masterson of raping them, including ex-girlfriend Bobette Riales, according to a Dec. 21 article from Vulture. The Los Angeles Police Department started interviewing in late 2016 four women who alleged that Masterson raped them in the early 2000s, and the case was referred to the district attorney's office in April 2017, HuffPost reported on Nov. 2.
Response: After Netflix said Dec. 5 that it would eliminate Masterson's character in the Ashton Kutcher comedy "The Ranch," Masterson said in a statement to Variety: “From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined them to be without merit. I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one. In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused. I understand and look forward to clearing my name once and for all. ”
A representative for Masterson did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
T.J. Miller
Allegations: In a Dec. 19 Daily Beast article, an unidentified woman who said she had a relationship with former “Silicon Valley” actor T.J. Miller alleged that Miller had sexually assaulted and punched her while they were attending George Washington University together.
Response: In a statement to The Daily Beast, Miller and his wife, Kate Gorney, said the woman “is now using the current climate to bandwagon and launch these false accusations again. It is unfortunate that she is choosing this route as it undermines the important movement to make women feel safe coming forward about legitimate claims against real known predators.”
A representative for Miller did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Jeremy Piven
Allegations: Eight women have accused Jeremy Piven of sexual harassment or assault, according to a Jan. 27 BuzzFeed News report.
Response: Piven said in a statement to BuzzFeed News, “These allegations, which in one case goes back more than 30 years and the two others more than 20 years ago, are false.”
Representatives from United Talent Agency, Piven’s talent agency, did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Tom Sizemore
Allegations: A Nov. 13 Hollywood Reporter article said that in 2003, Tom Sizemore was told to leave a Utah film set for “Born Killers” after an 11-year-old actress went to her mother to allege that Sizemore had touched her genitals. At the time, The Hollywood Reporter said, the parents decided not to press charges, and Sizemore was allowed to return to the production for reshoots. The now-former actress told The Hollywood Reporter that she had recently hired a lawyer to explore legal action, but she declined to discuss the matter in more detail. A dozen people involved in the production confirmed to the publication that Sizemore had been sent home after the girl’s allegations.
Response: Sizemore’s agent declined to comment for The Hollywood Reporter article, which also reported that Sizemore was said to have denied the girl's allegation.
Through his manager, Sizemore declined Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Kevin Spacey
Allegations: In an Oct. 29 BuzzFeed News report, actor Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of making an unwanted sexual advance when he was 14 years old. Spacey was 26 at the time, according to public records. Rapp alleged that Spacey invited him home, and at the end of the night, picked Rapp up, placed him on his bed and climbed on top of him. According to a USA Today report last updated on Nov. 16, the number of people accusing Spacey of sexual harassment or assault had grown to 15. The Los Angeles County district attorney is reviewing a sexual assault case against Spacey, CNN reported April 11.
Response: After Rapp’s allegations were published, Spacey said on Twitter, “I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years." After more accusers came forward, Spacey’s publicist provided a statement to The New York Times on Nov. 1, which said: “Kevin Spacey is taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment. No other information is available at this time.”
Spacey’s legal team did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Sylvester Stallone
Allegations: The Daily Mail reported Nov. 16 that it had obtained a police report from 1986 in which a 16-year-old girl said she felt "intimidated" into having sex with Sylvester Stallone and his bodyguard, who died in 2013, while Stallone was filming for “Over the Top” in Las Vegas. The police report said the girl later declined to press charges, the Daily Mail reported.
Response: In a Nov. 16 statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Michelle Bega, the actor’s representative, said, “This is a ridiculous, categorically false story. No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr. Stallone. At no time was Mr. Stallone ever contacted by any authorities or anyone else regarding this matter.”
A representative from William Morris Endeavor, Stallone’s talent agency, did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
George Takei
Allegations: In November, former model and actor Scott R. Brunton accused “Star Trek” actor George Takei of sexually assaulting him in 1981, telling The Hollywood Reporter in a Nov. 10 article that he was drinking at Takei’s home when he passed out and then woke up with his pants around his ankles. He alleged Takei was groping him at the time, and later he accused the actor of spiking his drink, according to a Nov. 12 Oregonian article. But on May 24, the Observer reported that Brunton had changed key details of the alleged incident.
Response: Takei denied all allegations via his Twitter and Facebook accounts after The Hollywood Reporter story ran, saying, “The events he describes back in the 1980s simply did not occur, and I do not know why he has claimed them now. I have wracked my brain to ask if I remember Mr. Brunton, and I cannot say I do.”
A representative for Takei did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Jeffrey Tambor
Allegations: Amazon.com Inc. began investigating sexual harassment claims against Jeffrey Tambor based on reports from Tambor’s former assistant, Van Barnes, Deadline reported on Nov. 8. Barnes wrote in a private Facebook post that Tambor had allegedly propositioned her repeatedly, made lewd comments, groped her and threatened to sue her if she spoke up, the website reported. “Transparent” co-star Trace Lysette also accused Tambor of sexual misconduct on the set in a Nov. 16 Hollywood Reporter article.
Response: “I am aware that a former disgruntled assistant of mine has made a private post implying that I had acted in an improper manner toward her,” Tambor told Deadline. “I adamantly and vehemently reject and deny any and all implication and allegation that I have ever engaged in any improper behavior toward this person or any other person I have ever worked with. I am appalled and distressed by this baseless allegation.”
In The Hollywood Reporter article, Tambor said in a statement: “I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to work with. I can be volatile and ill-tempered, and too often I express my opinions harshly and without tact. But I have never been a predator — ever. I am deeply sorry if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being sexually aggressive or if I ever offended or hurt anyone. But the fact is, for all my flaws, I am not a predator and the idea that someone might see me in that way is more distressing than I can express.”
A representative for Tambor did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Ed Westwick
Allegations: Four women have accused Ed Westwick of rape and assault. First, Kristina Cohen filed a police report in November, Variety reported on Nov. 7, after alleging in a Nov. 6 Facebook post that Westwick raped her after a producer introduced her to the actor in 2014. A second woman, Aurélie Wynn, took to Facebook on Nov. 8 to allege that Westwick pushed her face down and raped her in 2014. The third woman, Rachel Eck, accused Westwick of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in 2014, BuzzFeed News reported on Nov. 14. US Weekly reported March 21 that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office was reviewing the accusations. On March 29, US Weekly reported that a fourth woman, Haley Freedman, filed a police report against Westwick, alleging that she also had been raped.
Response: After Cohen’s allegations, Westwick wrote in a tweet and Instagram post, "I do not know this woman. I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape,” HuffPost reported on Nov. 7. After Wynn’s allegations, he said via Twitter and Instagram, “It is disheartening and sad to me that as a result of two unverified and provably untrue social media claims, there are some in this environment who could ever conclude I have had anything to do with such vile and horrific conduct. I have absolutely not, and I am cooperating with the authorities so that they can clear my name as soon as possible,” according to HuffPost on Nov. 9. On March 25, US Weekly reported Westwick had deleted from his social media feeds all statements denying the allegations.
Westwick’s legal team did not respond to Morning Consult’s request for comment.
Sam Sabin previously worked at Morning Consult as a reporter covering tech.
