'Taxi Driver' Screenwriter Paul Schrader Accused of Sexual Harassment
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Synopsis
Screenwriter Paul Schrader, known for 'Taxi Driver', faces allegations of sexual harassment from his former assistant. The lawsuit claims he backed out of a settlement agreement after being accused of inappropriate behavior during a film festival.
Key Takeaways
- Paul Schrader faces serious allegations of sexual harassment.
- The lawsuit includes claims of a breach of settlement agreement.
- Details of alleged inappropriate behavior surfaced from a film festival.
- Schrader's lawyer labels the claims frivolous and misleading.
- The case highlights issues around workplace conduct in the film industry.
Los Angeles, April 5 (NationPress) Screenwriter Paul Schrader, renowned for his work on 'Taxi Driver' and 'Raging Bull', is facing a lawsuit. He is accused in a legal filing of sexually harassing his former assistant and reneging on a settlement agreement.
The 26-year-old woman, referred to as Jane Doe, claims that Schrader forcibly grabbed and kissed her without consent during the Cannes Film Festival last year, where he was promoting his latest film, 'Oh, Canada', according to 'Variety'.
She asserts that she was able to escape after protesting. Three days later, she alleges that Schrader, aged 78, called her to his hotel room under the pretense of being “dying,” before exposing himself.
According to 'Variety', the woman’s legal representatives allege that Schrader’s attorneys agreed to a financial settlement, but after some “soul searching,” he withdrew from the agreement. They have filed a motion in a New York state court to uphold the settlement terms and recover legal fees.
Schrader’s attorney, Philip Kessler, stated to 'Variety' that since Schrader never signed the settlement, it is not enforceable.
“We see this breach of contract claim as desperate, opportunistic, and frivolous,” he remarked.
Kessler also contended that the allegations of harassment are “filled with inaccuracies” and “materially misleading.” He noted that during their three-and-a-half-year working relationship, the assistant attended numerous dinners and festivals with Schrader.
“At no point did the plaintiff show anything other than eagerness about accompanying Mr. Schrader,” Kessler said.
He further claimed that the woman had positively spoken about Schrader on social media, with those posts being deleted around the time her attorneys sent the initial demand letter.
In the legal filing, the woman asserts that Schrader consistently declared his love for her and expressed his desire to touch her, both verbally and in writing. The motion cites emails he purportedly sent to her.
“I sense you are uncomfortable with my affection for you,” he wrote in May 2023, as per the court documents. “Sometimes I feel (not today) that you fear I might touch you... I cringe at the thought you fear I might touch you.”
During her employment, the woman claims she endured “near-constant inappropriate sexual inquiries and lewd, misogynistic remarks.”
Her legal representatives assert that she was terminated in September for refusing to comply with Schrader’s advances. In the following months, her attorneys negotiated a settlement for Schrader to pay a confidential amount to resolve her claims.
However, they allege that Schrader delayed signing the agreement. After several weeks passed, her attorneys claim, Schrader indicated that he had experienced an illness and determined he “could not live with himself” if he accepted the settlement.
The woman’s attorneys maintain that the agreement was still binding.
The director of 'First Reformed' received a Venice Golden Lion for career achievement in 2022.
