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28 Mar 2024 22:28
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  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Eliza Dushku claims she was sexually assaulted on the set of 'True Lies' when she was just 12 years old

    The 37-year-old actress has found it "indescribably exhausting" keeping quiet about her alleged ordeal at the hands of the 1994 movie's stunt co-ordinator,Joel Kramer, but decided to speak out after a host of men and women came forward in recent months to detail the sexual misconduct they had been subjected to in Hollywood


    She wrote in an open letter: "When I was 12 years old, while filming 'True Lies', I was sexually molested by Joel Kramer, one of Hollywood's leading stunt coordinators/

    "Ever since, I have struggled with how and when to disclose this, if ever. At the time, I shared what happened to me with my parents, two adult friends and one of my older brothers. No one seemed ready to confront this taboo subject then, nor was I.

    "I am grateful to the women and men who have gone before me in recent months. The ever-growing list of sexual abuse and harassment victims who have spoken out with their truths have finally given me the ability to speak out. It has been indescribably exhausting, bottling this up inside me for all of these years."

    The former 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' actress claimed Joel spent months "grooming" her and "methodically" built her and her parents' trust, before taking her to his hotel room and allegedly "rubbed" his near-naked body over her before making her sit on his lap in a taxi back to her own hotel.

    She accused the stunt specialist of then growing "cold" towards her and even allowed her to get "injured" during filming after being confronted by one of her friends.

    She wrote: "I remember how soon-after, when my tough adult female friend (in whom I had confided my terrible secret on the condition of a trade that she let me drive her car around the Hollywood Hills) came out to the set to visit and face him, later that very same day, by no small coincidence, I was injured from a stunt-gone-wrong on the Harrier jet. With broken ribs, I spent the evening in the hospital.

    "To be clear, over the course of those months rehearsing and filming 'True Lies', it was Joel Kramer who was responsible for my safety on a film that at the time broke new ground for action films.

    "On a daily basis he rigged wires and harnesses on my 12 year old body. My life was literally in his hands: he hung me in the open air, from a tower crane, atop an office tower, 25+ stories high. Whereas he was supposed to be my protector, he was my abuser."

    Eliza was finally driven to speak out after she saw a picture of the 'Blade Runner 2049' stunt co-ordinator - who had nicknamed her "Jailbait" when they worked together - "hugging" a young girl.

    She wrote: "Years ago, I had heard second hand that Joel Kramer was 'found out' and forced to leave the business. I learned recently that in fact he still works at the top of the industry.

    "And a few weeks ago, I found an internet photo of Joel Kramer hugging a young girl. That image has haunted me near nonstop since. I can no longer hide what happened...

    "Through the years, brave fans have regularly shared with me how some of my characters have given them the conviction to stand up to their abusers. Now it is you who give me strength and conviction. I hope that speaking out will help other victims and protect against future abuse."

    Joel has slammed the claims as "atrocious lies" and insisted he was never alone with Eliza.

    He told the Hollywood Reporter: "We took care of her like she was our kid.

    "I don't ever remember being alone with her. 'Luring' her up to my hotel room, is just crazy."

    He claimed an assistant on the set of the film had told him the actress had a crush on him.

    He added: "I don't know what goes through a young girl's mind, I don't know what goes through anyone's mind. Something set her off somewhere."

    The stunt expert claims he "didn't remember" an accident on set that led to Eliza breaking her rins.

    He said: "She may have gotten bruised, I don't think she broke any ribs, I don't remember that at all.

    "We do everything we can to make sure everybody is safe.

    "We took care of her like she was our kid. It was important that Eliza trusted me and the stunt team. Especially with a minor. I've never gotten anybody hurt."

    But he won't be planning on legal action against the star.

    He said: "I'm not even angry, I'm just so hurt. I'm probably going to have to talk to an attorney at some point, that will cost me thousands of dollars to get to the bottom of this, but why would I want to countersue and ruin her life? It's a lose-lose for everybody."

    © 2024 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

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