Over the past few weeks, mounting allegations against Dustin Hoffman have included claims from multiple women who have accused him of inappropriate behavior (sexual misconduct) on film sets and during business meetings. One victim also came forward to allege that Hoffman sexually harassed her when she was a 17-year-old intern. These claims led to a confrontation with John Oliver, which saw Hoffman respond with notable hostility. Now, Variety reports that three more women have come forward to make claims against Hoffman. Two of the women have accused him of sexual assault, and the third has accused him of exposing himself to her when she was a teen:
Cori Thomas was in high school when she says Dustin Hoffman exposed himself to her in a hotel room. Melissa Kester was a recent college graduate when Hoffman allegedly sexually assaulted her while recording audio for the film “Ishtar.” A third woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said that Hoffman assaulted her in the back of a station wagon and manipulated her into a subsequent sexual encounter that left her traumatized.
The three women detailed their claims to Variety with Thomas giving a vivid account of how she met Hoffman at age 16 as a friend of his daughter. After a sketchy turn of events, Hoffman’s daughter was sent home while Thomas remained in his hotel room, where she waited for a ride from her patents. Then Hoffman allegedly turned on the shower and took things much further:
After several minutes, “He came out of the bathroom with a towel at first wrapped around him, which he dropped,” Thomas said. “He was standing there naked. I think I almost collapsed, actually. It was the first time I had ever seen a naked man. I was mortified. I didn’t know what to do. And he milked it. He milked the fact that he was naked. He stood there. He took his time.”
At that point, Thomas says that Hoffman asked for a foot massage while continuing to remind her that he was nude. The full report at Variety continues for more disturbing turns, including two alleged victims who accuse Hoffman of digitally penetrating them without consent. Both women describe feeling frozen during these incidents while Hoffman reportedly continued with the unwanted sexual contact. In a statement to Variety, Hoffman’s attorney has denied the new crop of allegations as “defamatory falsehoods.”
(Via Variety)