Actor Michael Douglas accused of sexual misconduct in 1980s

[rooster59]

Actor Michael Douglas accused of sexual misconduct in 1980s

 

Actor Michael Douglas arrives for the Chaplin Awards at the Film Society of Lincoln Center in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., May 8, 2017. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/Files

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A woman on Friday publicly accused Oscar-winning actor and producer Michael Douglas of sexual misconduct, saying he had repeatedly harassed her verbally and fondled himself in front of her when she worked for him in the 1980s.

 

"He thought he was the king of the world, and that he could humiliate me without any repercussions," journalist and author Susan Braudy said on NBC News' "Today" show.

 

Douglas, 73, issued pre-emptive denials of the story in articles published over the last two weeks, including one in which he called it a fabrication. His publicist, Allen Burry, said on Friday there would be no further comment.

 

The allegations against Douglas were the latest in a lengthy series of accusations by women and men who say they were victimized by high-powered men in the entertainment industry. Movie producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey and comedian Louis C.K. are among the most prominent men to have been accused.

 

Braudy, a former executive at Warner Bros. studios, worked for Douglas' production company for three years.

 

She said Douglas repeatedly used sexual language in conversations and that his behavior escalated during a work meeting at his New York apartment in 1989 where he groped his crotch in front of her.

 

"He slid down to the floor, unbuckled his belt and put his hands inside his trousers," Braudy told NBC News. "And I could see what he was doing and then he began to fondle himself and I was very scared."

 

She said she then panicked and ran for the door.

 

She said in the interview that she had told several friends about the incident soon afterwards but was "terrified" to speak out publicly at the time.

 

Douglas, in an item published by the Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, called Braudy's account of an incident at his apartment "an unfortunate and complete fabrication." He acknowledged inappropriate discussions, but challenged Braudy's claims of a hostile workplace, the publication said.

 

Last week, in an interview with the entertainment industry website Deadline, Douglas denied masturbating in front of a woman who worked for him about 30 years ago, without further identifying her.

 

"I felt the need to get ahead of this," he told Deadline. He said he learned in December that multiple publications were investigating the claim.

 

Douglas, who won an Academy Award for best actor in 1988 and for best picture in 1976, said he supported the #MeToo movement by those breaking their silence over past sexual harassment or misconduct, and that he had the support of his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and his children.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-01-20

[Enoon]

 

Is that Michael (well known for receiving treatment for sex addiction) Douglas?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Woo hoo, calling out a known sex addict. What took her so long?

[55Jay]

Art imitating life. 

 

 

[canuckamuck]

Me too apparently means, I'm going to embellish something from my past to get a little fame at someone else's expense.

 

I can't imagine there is anyone who worked in Hollywood at length that didn't see some whacko behavior. Make that any high level artistic  Industry. 

[thaibeachlovers]

23 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Me too apparently means, I'm going to embellish something from my past to get a little fame at someone else's expense.

 

I can't imagine there is anyone who worked in Hollywood at length that didn't see some whacko behavior. Make that any high level artistic  Industry. 

I'm hoping for some high profile men to start a male "metoo" movement to protest women that bullied them at work, used sex to get ahead, and wear revealing clothing at red carpet events.

Unfortunately, they are either probably hiding and hoping they don't get called out, or too gutless to stand up against women.

[ddavidovsky]

And in tomorrow's news: porn star Lili Friganza says she was sexually assaulted ten thousand four hundred and seventeen times over ten years and the assault was filmed every time and made available to the public, including her parents and her local pastor.

 

While admitting she was paid to do it and had signed contracts to perform the acts, she said she hadn’t really wanted to, and had felt coerced. "I didn't dare say no," she said. "They were such powerful figures in the industry, and I had no other means of making a living at the time."

 

Asked why she submitted to the assaults every day for ten years, the tearful Ms Friganza said ‘My lawyer says it was like Stockholm Syndrome.” Only now, she said, with so many other victims of Male Attention speaking out, does she realise that she was exploited and that whatever she was paid wasn’t worth the disgust she now feels, and has dared to come forward.

 

“It’s terrible,” she said, “that adult women nowadays are being held responsible for their own actions. How on earth are we to know what is right?” Adding: “Men are such pigs.” She is suing the producers, directors, and co-stars of every film for one billion dollars for hurt feelings and for damaging the Hollywood career which she says never took off because of her appearace in so many porn films.

 

Asked what she plans to do next, Ms Friganza, who married her female partner in a civil ceremony earlier this year, said she will be making only lesbian porn films from now on.

[steven100]

I think everyone is getting a bit sick of hearing all these so called sexual assaults. 

Why weren't they reported within a few months of it happening .... and I don't buy the ' afraid or didn't want to lose my job ' .

If it was serious then it should have been reported immediately.

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

I think everyone is getting a bit sick of hearing all these so called sexual assaults. 

Why weren't they reported within a few months of it happening .... and I don't buy the ' afraid or didn't want to lose my job ' .

If it was serious then it should have been reported immediately.

 

 

 

If it can be proven that they did report it and it was covered up by officials, as apparently happened in congress, it needs to be investigated and responsible persons prosecuted. However, nothing much being heard about the congressional cover ups at the moment.

The rest that are jumping on the bandwagon years later, and did little to nothing at the time, should be scorned.

 

When I was at school we were all mentally and physically abused by masters and prefects ( bullied, hit on the head, had chalk dusters thrown at us, caned, beaten with a sandshoe, etc ) , but it was the "norm" back then, so we just moved on.

[Chomper Higgot]

41 minutes ago, steven100 said:

I think everyone is getting a bit sick of hearing all these so called sexual assaults. 

Why weren't they reported within a few months of it happening .... and I don't buy the ' afraid or didn't want to lose my job ' .

If it was serious then it should have been reported immediately.

 

 

 

A little over ten years ago a young woman working for me came to me for advice following an alleged sexual attack by a male manager that had happened the evening before at a company sponsored conference. She had scratch marks and bruises on her neck and face and she was extremely upset and I had no doubt that I as her line manager had to take her report seriously. 

 

I leant this young woman my personal laptop (not a company linked machine) and asked her to take it home with her that evening and write her account of what had occurred. I then took her to a hospital were she was examined and photographs taken of her injuries. 

 

The account I read the next day was horrifying. 

 

I advised her that we would keep that account one more day before making a formal report. My thinking here that her report was full of anger and I wanted to make sure she was very clear and cold headed when she made a formal report. 

 

The next day I asked her to read her own account again and when she had finished I asked to her if that is what she wants to report, does she still feel it an accurate account? She responded she did. 

 

With her agreement I edited the report to remove the angry language, replacing the accused name where she had referred to him with invective. 

 

I then made three copies. I wrote a covering letter under her name pointing out the precise nature of the accusation in terms of our corporate ethics and behaviours standards and I asked her to sign all three copies of the letters and reports, she kept one, one was sent to the head of HR and one to the head of corporate governance. 

 

I asked her again is she sure she wants to file the report, she said she was. 

 

I then asked one favour of her, that she does not disclose to anyone who it was who helped her. I also advised that she should refuse any suggestion that she meet the accused attacker, and that she demands the enforcement of company policy - independent investigation, report and discipline as required (Sexual assault is gross misconduct so instant dismissal).

 

What followed was a concerted effort by the local HR manager to get the young woman to retract her accusation, she was threatened with legal action (libel and slander), she was emotionally pressured (the man is a father of young children, he needs his job), she was accused of being drunk (she doesn't drink). 

 

Corporate governance stepped in, shut down the local HR investigation, undertook their own investigation that revealed the accused had attacked several other women over a number of years. He was fired. 

 

Corporate governance left the scene. 

 

Local HR moved back in and called the young woman in for an interview in which she was subject to over an hour of questioning trying to solicit from her who it was who had assisted her. 

 

I had the foresight to see that might happen, but when people who have never come across the sexual abuse in an organisation, never been its victim or been subject to the intense efforts to cover-up accusations and penalise complainants and or those who assist them, make bland statements about reporting abuse or ask why it was not reported earlier, the only insight they offer is into their own lack of understanding on this issue. 

 

My personal view.

 

Women, and men, calling out sexual predators in the work place in no way diminishes me as an individual. 

 

If you feel it is an attack on you personally, have a word with yourself. 

Edited January 20, 2018 by Chomper Higgot

[MaeJoMTB]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

A little over ten years ago a young woman working for me came to me for advice following an alleged sexual attack by a male manager that had happened the evening before at a company sponsored conference. She had scratch marks and bruises on her neck and face and she was extremely upset and I had no doubt that I as her line manager had to take her report seriously. 

Well Chomper,

The correct place for an accusation of sexual assault is the police station.

You have already confessed to altering her report, you should have been sacked along with her.

 

If you can't report it to the police, the day after, then it didn't happen.

[Chomper Higgot]

17 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Well Chomper,

The correct place for an accusation of sexual assault is the police station.

You have already confessed to altering her report, you should have been sacked along with her.

 

If you can't report it to the police, the day after, then it didn't happen.

The correct place to report a sexual attack is at work and at the police station. 

 

The victim can choose both one or neither. 

 

Editing a report, any report, before the person who makes the report signs it is not under any circumstances 'altering a report' - The submitted report is the report that was read and signed by the complainant. 

 

You don't seem to understand much.

[steven100]

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

A little over ten years ago a young woman working for me came to me for advice following an alleged sexual attack by a male manager that had happened the evening before at a company sponsored conference. She had scratch marks and bruises on her neck and face and she was extremely upset and I had no doubt that I as her line manager had to take her report seriously. 

I didn't even get down to the about the HR manager wanting her to retract her statement ,  because I could read your story like a book.

She should have gone to the police alone and reported it. You should have stayed out of it, with you involved only looks like cohersion. 

I am sorry about her story and your trying to help. But it didn't work.

Edited January 20, 2018 by steven100

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 

 

I had the foresight to see that might happen, but when people who have never come across the sexual abuse in an organisation, never been its victim or been subject to the intense efforts to cover-up accusations and penalise complainants and or those who assist them, make bland statements about reporting abuse or ask why it was not reported earlier, the only insight they offer is into their own lack of understanding on this issue. 

 

My personal view.

 

Women, and men, calling out sexual predators in the work place in no way diminishes me as an individual. 

 

If you feel it is an attack on you personally, have a word with yourself. 

While in my time working in a female dominated career I was never sexually abused/ exploited etc, I was bullied and mentally abused by many managers. I fully understand how difficult it is to stand up against the bosses. I ended up taking early retirement because of the stress, to my financial detriment.

However, I take the view, that as I wasn't prepared to actually do whatever it took to get them disciplined, it's something in the past and move on. I will not, in the future try and take retrospective action in a legal sense.

I'm not saying that what happened to the woman wasn't horrible, but she should have gone to the police- it was a criminal assault, and nothing for HR to be involved in. If she chose not to do so- that's on her. Seems that all the talk of woman power and "strong women" counts for not much when it's in the real world.

IMO the elephant in the room is why she didn't report the HR guy to management. They already supported her before, and probably would have again.

[RichardColeman]

Note to self : Don't adjust what side I'm dressed when talking to someone !

[Chomper Higgot]

18 minutes ago, steven100 said:

 

I am sorry about her story and your trying to help. But it didn't work.

The guy's attacks on the woman and other women were investigated, the guy was fired. 

 

What do you mean 'But it didn't work'?

[Chomper Higgot]

17 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

While in my time working in a female dominated career I was never sexually abused/ exploited etc, I was bullied and mentally abused by many managers. I fully understand how difficult it is to stand up against the bosses. I ended up taking early retirement because of the stress, to my financial detriment.

However, I take the view, that as I wasn't prepared to actually do whatever it took to get them disciplined, it's something in the past and move on. I will not, in the future try and take retrospective action in a legal sense.

I'm not saying that what happened to the woman wasn't horrible, but she should have gone to the police- it was a criminal assault, and nothing for HR to be involved in. If she chose not to do so- that's on her. Seems that all the talk of woman power and "strong women" counts for not much when it's in the real world.

IMO the elephant in the room is why she didn't report the HR guy to management. They already supported her before, and probably would have again.

Making a report of a criminal assault to the police is a matter of personal choice, it is precisely why data from victim support groups and hospital admissions indicate that sexual assaults are under reported to the police. 

 

Making a report to a company that has a written policy of support to victims of abuse may be an easier option and may (very often is) a requirement under contract terms and conditions to report abuse and illegal activity.

 

Under UK and many other national law it is a duty of employers to provide a safe working environment and to provide the means for workers to report concerns the have over their safety, these must be recorded, investigated and acted upon. 

 

So not a case of report to the police but not the the work place. 

 

[steven100]

5 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The guy's attacks on the woman and other women were investigated, the guy was fired. 

 

What do you mean 'But it didn't work'?

I just mean in hindsight if she had gone straight to the police it would have been a done deal, maybe.

I suppose ' but it didn't work ' is not correct ....  maybe I should have said it could have been smoother.

[spidermike007]

Show me some proof. An allegation is just that. If you do not have proof, you should be subject to a libel suit. It is just too easy for a woman to make a claim like this. I am not saying it does not happen. But, there needs to be some burden placed upon the accuser.

 

The idea of sexual harassment in the US, has passed all reasonable boundaries. When Matt Damon recently came out and stated that there was a big difference between a little pat on the butt, and forceful rape, he was nearly crucified by some women in Hollywood, (especially the shrill, elderly, and way, way, way past the sell by date) Minnie Driver. That alone demonstrated to the most reasonable mind, how far out of control this "war on men" has gone. It is beyond ridiculous. It is petty, silly, surly, and just plain old dumb. Not to say there are not men who deserve it. But, a pat on the butt, or a man putting his hand on a woman's thigh, when they are engaged in a friendly conversation is NOT the same as rape and does not constitute sexual harassment. And yes, I would feel the same way if it happened to my daughter. Give me a break. This whole situation is stupid. American men have been emasculated already. Now, it is getting so extreme, pretty soon it might be illegal to even possess a male organ in the US. 

 

So, I propose this. When a woman accuses a man of "sexual harassment" the burden of proof lies on her. She has to demonstrate some evidence. Otherwise, it is he said, she said. And in the US, she said always wins out. 

 

It is the utter embodiment of a nation that has lost it's footing, has really never found it's identity, and has a population of women, 90% of whom, have no ability, willingness, wherewithal, or desire to connect with, manifest, or embody their inner woman, or express femininity for anything other than personal gain. The US is  on the decline, and has been for the past 30-40 years. It is the Western Roman Empire, in the late 5th century AD, prior to Odoacer marching on Rome. 

[Gillyflower]

I remember some years ago Douglas came out and confessed that he was whatever a male nymphomaniac is called.  He was undergoing treatment for it.

[Jonmarleesco]

4 hours ago, steven100 said:

I think everyone is getting a bit sick of hearing all these so called sexual assaults. 

Why weren't they reported within a few months of it happening .... and I don't buy the ' afraid or didn't want to lose my job ' .

If it was serious then it should have been reported immediately.

 

 

 

I might wear one, two, three - hell, five years. But thirty ...

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

He is an admitted sex “addict” who claims he got cancer from munching vag but Is talking rudely and grabbing you junk in your own property even a crime?

 

 

 

[Jonmarleesco]

32 minutes ago, Gillyflower said:

I remember some years ago Douglas came out and confessed that he was whatever a male nymphomaniac is called.  He was undergoing treatment for it.

Don't remember that, and am not going to bother researching it. Suffice to say, if that were the case, why didn't this journalist who's waited in excess of thirty years to come out, say something then?

[capasso]

Micheal same papa Kirk 

[catman20]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Woo hoo, calling out a known sex addict. What took her so long?

yes this whole thing is one big joke ,  these cases should have a statue of limitation say 10 years or less.

if you said to me 18 years ago when i came to Thailand i fondled a young ladies breast or something like that i would not have a clue if it were true or false. i cant remember what i did last month.

[Get Real]

Yep! Coming 30 year later. Just lost her job and no money to support herself?

[sanemax]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"He slid down to the floor, unbuckled his belt and put his hands inside his trousers," Braudy told NBC News. "And I could see what he was doing and then he began to fondle himself and I was very scared."

Thats it ?

Hardly worth making a fuss about .

 

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Making a report of a criminal assault to the police is a matter of personal choice, it is precisely why data from victim support groups and hospital admissions indicate that sexual assaults are under reported to the police. 

 

Making a report to a company that has a written policy of support to victims of abuse may be an easier option and may (very often is) a requirement under contract terms and conditions to report abuse and illegal activity.

 

Under UK and many other national law it is a duty of employers to provide a safe working environment and to provide the means for workers to report concerns the have over their safety, these must be recorded, investigated and acted upon. 

 

So not a case of report to the police but not the the work place. 

 

Under UK and many other national law it is a duty of employers to provide a safe working environment and to provide the means for workers to report concerns the have over their safety, these must be recorded, investigated and acted upon. 

 

I reported an unsafe working environment several times and nothing ever happened. The last time I had a big barney with the manager and that was what precipitated my early retirement.

Don't believe the BS.

[Sydebolle]

Mr Michael Douglas - welcome to the hall of fame; it was only a matter of time until yet another bird would come forward to claim something she so befittingly could sit quiet on for 30+ years.

Who is next? Taking bets ;-) 

[coulson]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'm hoping for some high profile men to start a male "metoo" movement to protest women that bullied them at work, used sex to get ahead, and wear revealing clothing at red carpet events.

Unfortunately, they are either probably hiding and hoping they don't get called out, or too gutless to stand up against women.

...or they wouldn't bother complaining because it really didn't bother them that much, in fact they enjoyed it and got ahead in the process.

 

The world pretends to be so innocent sometimes.