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The rights of abuse accusers to file lawsuits without a time limit on when the alleged incidents took place, expired on November 24, 2023.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act into law in 2022. It provided one year for people who say they experienced assault when they were over the age of 18 to sue their abusers, regardless of when the abuse occurred.
Since the window opened on November 24, 2022, over 2,500 lawsuits were filed up to the week of November 20, 2023. An avalanche of claims were filed in the last few eligible days.
New York was one of several states that revisited time limits set on civil sexual assault claims, although in the past these usually focused on people who were abused as children.
One of the first cases filed under the Adult Survivors Act once the window opened was against former president Donald Trump.
Writer E. Jean Carroll first accused Donald Trump of raping her in a New York department store in an excerpt of her book published by New York Magazine in 2019.
Carroll filed a suit against Trump in 2022 for the assault, which allegedly took place in 1996. The trial against the former president took place a year later in Manhattan federal court.
Trump denied the accusation, and did not attend the trial. A jury found him liable of sexual abuse and defamation. They awarded Carroll US$5 million.
Of course, not all of the suits were filed against entertainment figures; the large majority of the cases filed were taken against the state, New York City, and counties. The lawyer for Cassie Ventura's lawsuit against Sean Combs, Douglas Wigdor, said one of the reasons so many people came forward against people in the entertainment industry was because of the publicity their case received the week before the law was about to expire.
Sources: (USA Today) (Associated Press) (BBC)
According to USA Today, a Jane Doe accuses Diddy and singer Aaron Hall of the assault of her and a friend in either 1990 or 1991, following an MCA Records event.
The lawsuit alleged that Cassie, who began a professional and sexual relationship with the rap mogul when she was 19, had been trafficked, raped, and viciously beaten by Combs over the course of their decade-long relationship. The pair reached a settlement one day after the filing.
Filed on November 3, 2023, a Jane Doe alleges Brand assaulted her on the set of the remake of the movie 'Arthur' (2011). She claims the assault happened in a bathroom, after Brand had exposed himself in full view of the movie's cast and crew earlier in the day.
Combs' company Bad Boy Entertainment, and its former president Harve Pierre, are also facing suits for negligence and sexual assault. A former employee accuses Pierre of using his position of authority to groom, exploit, and assault her.
Among several accusations of rape, assault, and abuse against Brand is a suit under the Adult Survivors Act in New York.
Jasmine Abbay and Kelsey Harbert are seeking damages for lost wages and emotional distress, as well as punitive damages, liquidated damages, and attorneys’ fees, in addition to a jury trial.
Former record executive Jimmy Iovine was accused of sexual abuse in a summons filed November 22, 2023, under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. The alleged incidents date back to 2007. Iovine's spokesperson responded that they are "shocked and baffled" by the allegations.
Cuba Gooding Jr. faces two allegations of abuse by women who previously brought criminal charges against the actor.
Kennedy claims she was violently assaulted by Rose in a New York City hotel room after meeting at a nightclub party. Rose's attorney called the allegations "fictional" and said Rose has "no recollection" of meeting Kennedy.
Doe is seeking a jury trial, claiming she was injured and had to undergo medical treatment while suffering emotional distress. A spokesman for Foxx denies the incident and called the allegation "frivolous."
The Guns N' Roses front man is being sued for an assault that dates back to 1989. Former Penthouse model Sheila Kennedy filed against him under the law.
Jamie Foxx is accused by a Jane Doe of assault in 2015. She claims that while intoxicated at a New York City rooftop bar, Foxx made comments about her body, before touching her in the back of the establishment.
According to a summons filed in Manhattan, a woman accuses New York City mayor Eric Adams of assaulting her 30 years ago.
The woman is seeking US$5 million in damages. Adams responded to the allegations, saying it "absolutely did not happen" and that he didn't recall meeting the person. "That is not who I am, and that is not who I've ever been in my professional life," he said.
A second lawsuit was taken by Joi Dickerson-Neal. She alleges she was assaulted and abused by Combs in 1991, in an incident that was videotaped and distributed to others in the music industry.
A former actress and model, Caron Bernstein, filed a lawsuit that alleges that in 2003 she was "lured" to Richardson's studio with a work offer. Instead, she claims, she was assaulted there.
Photographer Terry Richardson has been accused by two models under the Act. A Spanish model, Minerva Portillo, alleged he assaulted her in front of his employees.
Drew Dixon, a former music executive, is suing L.A. Reid under the law. She claims he sexually assaulted her and derailed her career while she worked for him, when he was chief executive of Arista Records. She alleges that Reid assaulted her twice in 2001 and later cut her budget when she refused his continuing advances.
One of the most high-profile claims taken under the act was that of Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura against her ex-boyfriend, Sean "Diddy" Combs.
An unnamed woman who worked as a stand-in on 'The Cosby Show' in the '80s alleges in a lawsuit filed under the Act that Bill Cosby drugged and abused her, after offering to mentor her.
New York's Adult Survivors Act has been used against several high-profile figures since its inception in 2022. The legislation offered those who suffered abuse—who were over the age of 18 at the time it occurred—the opportunity to come forward. It applied regardless of when the allegations took place, temporarily removing the statute of limitations in operation for such claims. On Friday, November 24, 2023, the one-year window to file a suit expired, which led to a last-minute rush of cases to be processed. Among them, several celebrities stand accused.
Intrigued? Click on to learn more about the Act and the allegations against well-known names.
Celebrities facing allegations as the Adult Survivors Act expires
Over 2,500 abuse suits were filed during the one-year window
CELEBRITY Crime
New York's Adult Survivors Act has been used against several high-profile figures since its inception in 2022. The legislation offered those who suffered abuse—who were over the age of 18 at the time it occurred—the opportunity to come forward. It applied regardless of when the allegations took place, temporarily removing the statute of limitations in operation for such claims. On Friday, November 24, 2023, the one-year window to file a suit expired, which led to a last-minute rush of cases to be processed. Among them, several celebrities stand accused.
Intrigued? Click on to learn more about the Act and the allegations against well-known names.