The fall of film mogul Harvey Weinstein, following dozens of harrowing sexual assault and harassment allegations, has had an incredible domino effect on the entertainment industry.
First, model Cameron Russell shared hundreds of anonymous stories of sexual harassment and abuse sent to her by models, then famed photographer Terry Richardson, who is known for his exploitation of women, was banned from working on some of the world’s biggest fashion magazines, and now over 200 women have come forward with sexual harassment allegations against director James Toback.
The Los Angeles Times released an investigation into the Black and White and Two Girls and a Guy director on Sunday, which included allegations by 38 different women.
Most of whom had stories that started the same way: Toback would approach them at random – sometimes in a park, sometimes on the street, in a pharmacy – dropping the movies he’d directed, the famous names he knew, his Oscar-nomination. He would then say he could make them famous and ask them to have a meeting with him, which would quickly turn sexual.
“The way he presented it, it was like, ‘This is how things are done,’” actress Adrienne LaValley told The Times of a 2008 hotel room encounter with Toback. The director allegedly tried to rub his crotch against her leg, before standing up and ejaculating in his pants.
“I felt like a prostitute, an utter disappointment to myself, my parents, my friends. And I deserved not to tell anyone,” she said.
Following on from the report, released just three days ago, a further 200 women have come forward with allegations against Toback.
One of whom is marie claire cover star, Julianne Moore, who took to Twitter to reveal Toback had approached her on the street in the ’80s, asking her to audition in his apartment.
“James Toback approached me in the 80’s on Columbus Ave with the same language – wanted me to audition, come to his apt,” the actress wrote.
“I refused. One month later he did it again with the EXACT same language. I said don’t u remember u did this before?”
Actress Natalie Morales also came forward, writing: “Exact same playbook by James Toback when I encountered him near Central Park.”
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