Sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, Steven Seagal and Anthony Anderson land on L.A. prosecutors’ desks
More sexual assault allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, as well as allegations against actors Steven Seagal and Anthony Anderson, have landed on Los Angeles prosecutors’ desks.
The L.A. County district attorney’s office said Thursday that the Beverly Hills Police Department presented it with a “third sex assault case involving Harvey Weinstein in June.” It said it is reviewing that case, as well as five others involving Weinstein presented by Beverly Hills and Los Angeles police.
The prosecutor’s office is also reviewing two investigations that the Los Angeles Police Department presented to it Wednesday, a spokesman said: one into a sexual assault allegation against action star Seagal, and one into a sexual assault allegation against “Black-ish” actor Anderson.
The spokesman, Greg Risling, did not disclose details of the allegations against the three men.
Weinstein has repeatedly denied engaging in nonconsensual sex, a denial his attorney reiterated Thursday. Since last fall, dozens of women have accused the film mogul of using his power and influence to sexually exploit young women, including many aspiring actresses — a wave of public accusations that gave birth to the #MeToo movement.
Seagal — a Russian citizen who was named last weekend as the Kremlin’s newest special envoy to the United States — has over several decades faced more than half a dozen allegations of sexual assault, including rape. The allegations have been leveled by actresses, film workers and reporters. He has repeatedly denied committing any sexual misconduct. Representatives for Seagal could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Anderson “unequivocally disputes the claim” against him, and authorities have not contacted him about it, a representative for the actor said in a statement. According to a law enforcement source who was not authorized to discuss the investigation, a woman alleged this year that Anderson assaulted her in 2017.
In November, as the #MeToo movement picked up steam, the Los Angeles prosecutor’s office formed an entertainment task force to review allegations against celebrities and Hollywood figures, but it has yet to file any related cases. Some allegations — such as those against director James Toback and CBS Chairman Les Moonves — were rejected as beyond the statute of limitations. Others, such as those against former “Gossip Girl” actor Ed Westwick, were declined because of insufficient evidence.
Weinstein, 66, has been charged in New York with six sex-crime felonies involving three women. He has pleaded not guilty.
Twitter: @lacrimes
UPDATES:
6:35 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from a representative of Anthony Anderson.
This article was originally published at 6:15 p.m.
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