WARNING: This story contains graphic language
Despite a growing tally of more than 300 women who claim to have been sexually harassed by James Toback following a bombshell exposé in the Los Angeles Times, the director issued blanket denial of all the allegations, declaring in an interview with Rolling Stone that anyone accusing him is a “lying c**ksucker.”
Toback’s denial is being contested by Toronto-born Grey’s Anatomy star Caterina Scorsone, who claims she was targeted by Toback — and even wrote an article about her alleged experience 17 years ago.
“In response to James Toback’s crass denial in Rolling Stone, I feel I must corroborate the stories of these women. I want to be clear that the predatory director I wrote about in the article I posted a few days back, was James Toback,” she wrote on Instagram. “The article was written 17 years ago. Many industry people knew about it and encouraged me to stay silent. I didn’t, and it directly affected my career. I stand with all the women who were brave enough to tell their stories. I also stand with all the women who don’t feel that they can speak up, even now. Let’s shine light into all the darkest corners. #metoo @rollingstone.”
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Scorsone is referencing an article she shared Instagram on Oct. 16, explaining that she was a teenager when she wrote of her alleged encounter with the director of such films as The Pickup Artist and Tyson.
“After it was published, I quit the business in reaction to the veil of silence surrounding this issue,” Scorsone wrote. “I eventually returned to acting as an adult, supported by showrunners like Shonda Rhimes. She is an example of the good side of this industry.”
In her article, Scorsone details the alleged encounter that she claimed took place during an “audition” with Toback, writing that there was a “rider on my eligibility for the role” that was “explicitly sexual in nature.”
When she told him point blank that she would not have sex with him, she alleges that Toback “told me that I was repressed, and that, if I were a real actor like the half-dozen names he mentioned working with, I would be willing to trust him and just ‘go there,’” she wrote. “Needless to say, I didn’t get the part.”
Meanwhile, Glenn Whipp — who wrote the Los Angeles Times article that caused the Toback scandal to explode — has been keeping a running tab on the number of women that have contacted him to say they were sexually harassed by Toback.
Scorsone’s allegations join those of fellow actresses Julianne Moore, Rachel McAdams and Selma Blair, all of whom have come forward to claim they were also sexually harassed by Toback.
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