Actor Jamie Foxx accused of sexual abuse in New York lawsuit

NEW YORK – Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in New York City on Nov 22 that alleges he groped a woman at a rooftop bar and restaurant in Manhattan in August 2015.

The plaintiff, identified in the complaint only as Jane Doe, said the assault occurred in a secluded corner of the Catch NYC rooftop lounge after she and a friend had approached the film star and had their pictures taken with him.

Foxx’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.

The lawsuit said Foxx began groping the woman and putting his hands under her clothing against her will until her friend found the two of them, interrupting the encounter, and she left.

The American actor, 55, is best known for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of singer Ray Charles in the 2004 film Ray. He also earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting role that same year in the film Collateral.

He is one of the latest high-profile celebrities accused of sexual wrongdoing in a recent series of lawsuits filed under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York state law allowing such lawsuits to be filed in court even if the statutes of limitations have run out.

The deadline for the special one-year window for such complaints under the law expires at the end of this month.

Music industry veteran Jimmy Iovine was likewise sued on Nov 22 by a woman claiming he sexually abused her.

In the Iovine complaint filed in New York state court in Manhattan, a woman identified only as Jane Doe said she was sexually abused, forcibly touched and subject to sexual harassment and retaliation in August 2007.

A spokesperson for Iovine said they were “quite shocked and baffled” by the complaint.

“This inquiry is the first we’ve heard of this matter. No one has ever made a claim like this against Jimmy Iovine, nor have we been contacted or made aware of any complaint by anyone, including this unknown plaintiff prior to now,” the spokesperson said.

The plaintiff’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, declined further comment.

Iovine, a onetime recording engineer, co-founded Interscope Records, a music label associated with West Coast hip hop that is now part of Universal Music Group. Iovine later partnered in 2006 with producer Dr. Dre to launch Beats Electronics, a company which Apple acquired in 2014 for US$3 billion (S$4 billion).

Others sued under the law include actors Russell Brand and Bill Cosby, former film producer Harvey Weinstein, a former president, Donald Trump, and hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose case was settled after one day. REUTERS