Paul Schrader responds to sexual misconduct allegations
Paul Schrader has responded to his sexual misconduct allegations in an open letter, claiming that the claims from his former assistant couldn’t be “further from the truth”.
On April 3rd, Schrader’s former 26-year-old assistant, who is remaining anonymous in the legal filing, alleged that the Taxi Driver writer had sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions. One alleged incident occurred after the premiere of Oh, Canada at the Cannes Film Festival, where she claims that Schrader exposed himself to her in his hotel room.
The complainant also alleged Schrader’s lawyer proposed a monetary settlement after the alleged abuse, but they eventually decided to pull out of the deal.
The alleged victim referred to as Jane Doe in the legal filing, then filed a motion in a New York court to enforce the settlement and recoup litigation expenses.
Schrader subsequently responded to the claims in an open letter published on April 7th. In the response, he describes how it is “important” for the public to “hear from me directly about the subject” to hear his side of the story, claiming the allegations to be “false and misleading”.
In the letter, Schrader writes, “Out of the blue, in the fall of last year, a lawyer I had never heard of, representing my former assistant, sent me a letter demanding that I pay my former assistant millions of dollars or she would go public with sensational, false and misleading accusations about our relationship and my conduct via a lawsuit.”
Schrader explains how he felt “legally entitled” to back out of the settlement, which he claims “would not be effective unless both Plaintiff and I signed it.” Schrader then describes the alleged “physically ‘intimate’ experiences” he shared with his former assistant, claiming they shared “two kisses on the lips.” and emphasising that they “never had sex in any form.”
“The first kiss was in December 2023 in a New York bar after we had both been drinking. She continued working actively with me thereafter. She did not indicate to me that she had been troubled by the kiss, much less that she preferred to change or end our relationship,” Schrader wrote.
He continued: “The second kiss took place in May 2024 at Cannes where she had accompanied me for the premiere of my most recent film. Once again, after we had been drinking together, I kissed her. This time she indicated displeasure. I never attempted to kiss her again and I also apologized. Even after Cannes, Plaintiff expressed emphatically her desire to continue to work, dine and travel with me.”
Towards the end of the letter, Schrader claims that he will be “presumed guilty” as a result of the “current climate” towards sexual misconduct in Hollywood.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.