'Taxi Driver' writer accused of sexual harassment and assault
Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The writer behind Robert De Niro classics "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver" is being sued by his former assistant for sexual harassment and assault.
Paul Schrader has been accused by the unnamed 26-year-old of grabbing and kissing her while they were at the Cannes Film Festival last year.
A lawsuit filed in New York last week says after she escaped his clutches, the woman -- given the pseudonym Jane Doe in the suit -- was summoned to his hotel room three days later where Schrader exposed himself.
"Since Defendant Schrader's brutal attack on Ms. Doe, exposure of his genitals to her, and his countless other acts of sexual harassment, she has suffered, inter alia, nightmares, extreme anxiety, and trauma, and has withdrawn almost completely from her former life," the suit says.
Brutal attack?
The legal filing claims Schrader, 78, fired his assistant in September.
"Two days later, in full acknowledgment of his unlawful and predatory behavior, he wrote in an email to her...'If I have become a Harvey Weinstein in your mind then of course you have no choice but to put me in the rear view mirror,'" the lawsuit says.
Weinstein, 73, was the Hollywood power player whose decades-long sexual predation sparked the "Me Too" movement, leading to convictions that are under appeal.
The former Miramax co-founder is serving a 16-year prison sentence in California after rape convictions in New York were overturned in 2024.
Jane Doe's suit says Schrader initially agreed to an undisclosed financial settlement over the allegations, but later backed out.
The motion seeks to enforce the terms of the agreement and demands reimbursement for legal fees and costs.
Schrader's lawyer, Philip Kessler, told AFP on Monday that they would contest the lawsuit. He said Schrader had not signed an agreement, which meant it was null and void.
"He reflected on paying as much money as the agreement required him to pay, had he signed it, and he reached the conclusion that it was not in his interest to do that," Kessler said.
Kessler said the underlying harassment allegations "are seriously inaccurate, very misleading and fundamentally untrue."
"He kissed her twice almost three and a half years ago and...it was only at the time of the second kiss that she indicated displeasure, and he never attempted to kiss her again."
Schrader was in Cannes to promote his film "Oh, Canada," starring Richard Gere, Uma Thurman and Jacob Elordi.
Gosh, I guess he couldn't find a Canadian to star in it.
© 2025 AFP
Continuing to monitor Russell Brand's response to the rape charges as a Christian:
Russell Brand admits sex was one of the main reasons he pursued fame
Russell Brand, days after being charged with rape and sexual assault, said one of the main reasons he got into showbiz and pursued fame was to have “sex with anybody who wanted to.”
The 49-year-old actor shared why he “even bothered becoming famous” in the first place, but continued to deny the charges against him and said he never participated in nonconsensual sex.
“It’s difficult not to reflect that indeed, the people participating in this are victims of a type, but not victims of me because I’ve always been open,” he said in a video posted Monday to Rumble, according to Fox News. “You can go and watch my standup comedy. You can read my book. I couldn’t have been more clear that I was out there having sex with anybody who wanted to.
“And let me tell you, when you’re a famous guy, people are up for it.
“People are up for it! I’ve got to be honest here. That’s part of the reason I even bothered becoming famous in the first place, because I thought this will be a glorious opportunity for hedonistic adventure. Surely then, my life will mean something. Surely, I can find some value in the comfort of strangers. Surely, I can lose myself in endless pleasure.”
Last Friday, British police charged Brand with rape and sexual assault following an 18-month investigation sparked when four women alleged they had been assaulted by the controversial comedian.
The alleged offences involve four women and took place between 1999 and 2005 — one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and the other three in the Westminster area of central London.
In September 2023, British media outlets Channel 4 and the Sunday Times published claims by four women of being sexually assaulted or raped by Brand. The accusers have not been identified.
On the same day he was charged, he responded to the allegations, saying in a video posted to social media that he has “never engaged in nonconsensual activity.”
“I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes,” he said, speaking into the camera while wearing a straw hat, with a beach and ocean in the background.
“I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was was a rapist,” he said in the statement, adding that he’s “incredibly grateful” to “have the opportunity to defend these charges in court.”
Brand has denied similar assault and abuse claims in the past.
Speaking on Monday’s Rumble broadcast, Brand said that since becoming a Christian he can “recognize that sex is a very, very powerful force,” before veering into conspiracy theory territory, saying he was “on the radar of the deep state” and speaking about “corruption in the coronavirus era … how companies like Pfizer and Moderna made record profits.”
Positioning himself as a wellness guru, Brand has amplified conspiracy theories in recent years, backing Robert F. Kennedy’s criticisms of the COVID-19 vaccination at the height of the pandemic. More recently, NPR notes, Brand has been selling a “magical amulet” that he claims will protect buyers from malevolent energy.
Amulet - really?
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
