A woman has filed a lawsuit against Warren Beatty, alleging the actor forced her to have sex in 1973 when he was 35 and she was 14 and 15.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court by Kristina Hirsch, does not mention Beatty, now 85, but clearly refers to him. The defendant is described as a “renowned and well-known actor and producer” who was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Clyde in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967.
Hirsch, who now lives in Louisiana, claims she met Beatty on a film set in 1973, where he gave her “excessive attention”, commented on her appearance and gave her his phone number. The lawsuit says Beatty repeatedly called Hirsch, invited her to his hotel, drove her, offered to help her with homework, and repeatedly commented on the loss of her virginity.
According to the lawsuit, the defendant “used his position and status as an adult and Hollywood movie star to coerce sexual contact with the plaintiff on several occasions, including oral sex, simulated sex and finally forced intercourse. with the minor child”.
The prosecution says Hirsch was “initially thrilled” by the defendant’s attention and believed she was romantically involved with him.
Hirsch sued via a 2019 California law that opened a three-year “look-back window” for child sexual abuse allegations that would have been dismissed by the statute of limitations. The window closes on January 1.
Hirsch is seeking compensation for psychological, mental and emotional distress, and says she has “trust and control issues” as well as difficulty interacting with people in positions of authority as a result of sexual abuse.
“As a direct result of defendant Doe’s assault, the complainant experienced issues with her personal life, such as trust and control issues,” the complaint states. “These feelings caused the applicant significant emotional distress, guilt, anxiety, nervousness and fear.”
Hirsch is represented by Michael Reck and Michael Finnegan of the law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates, which has handled sexual abuse cases involving the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America.
Beatty has yet to make a statement and the Guardian has contacted his lawyers for comment.
