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Three More Women Accuse Dustin Hoffman of Sexual Misconduct, Variety Reports Three More Women Accuse Dustin Hoffman of Sexual Misconduct, Variety Reports
(about 3 hours later)
Three more women have accused the actor Dustin Hoffman of sexual misconduct, providing detailed allegations of encounters in a recording studio, in a station wagon and in a hotel room decades ago, according to interviews published Thursday in Variety.Three more women have accused the actor Dustin Hoffman of sexual misconduct, providing detailed allegations of encounters in a recording studio, in a station wagon and in a hotel room decades ago, according to interviews published Thursday in Variety.
The article quoted a letter to Variety’s owner Penske Media Corp., from Mr. Hoffman’s attorney, Mark A. Neubauer of Carlton Fields Jordan Burt, calling the accusations against the actor “defamatory falsehoods.”The article quoted a letter to Variety’s owner Penske Media Corp., from Mr. Hoffman’s attorney, Mark A. Neubauer of Carlton Fields Jordan Burt, calling the accusations against the actor “defamatory falsehoods.”
A voice mail message left for Mr. Neubauer and an email to a representative were not returned on Friday.A voice mail message left for Mr. Neubauer and an email to a representative were not returned on Friday.
Variety identified two of the women by name, and the third spoke anonymously about the encounters with the now 80-year-old actor.Variety identified two of the women by name, and the third spoke anonymously about the encounters with the now 80-year-old actor.
One of them, Cori Thomas, told Variety that she was a 16-year-old friend of Mr. Hoffman’s daughter, Karina, and an aspiring actor when she met Mr. Hoffman in 1980. She said that the three of them spent a Sunday walking around Manhattan. Then they all went to Mr. Hoffman’s hotel room to wait for Ms. Thomas’s parents to pick her up, she told Variety.One of them, Cori Thomas, told Variety that she was a 16-year-old friend of Mr. Hoffman’s daughter, Karina, and an aspiring actor when she met Mr. Hoffman in 1980. She said that the three of them spent a Sunday walking around Manhattan. Then they all went to Mr. Hoffman’s hotel room to wait for Ms. Thomas’s parents to pick her up, she told Variety.
After Karina left, Mr. Hoffman took a shower and emerged with a towel wrapped around him, “which he dropped,” Ms. Thomas told Variety. “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.”After Karina left, Mr. Hoffman took a shower and emerged with a towel wrapped around him, “which he dropped,” Ms. Thomas told Variety. “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.”
She said Mr. Hoffman eventually put on a robe, sat on the bed, and asked her to massage his feet. She complied.She said Mr. Hoffman eventually put on a robe, sat on the bed, and asked her to massage his feet. She complied.
“I didn’t know what to do in the circumstance,” Ms. Thomas told Variety. “I didn’t know that I could say no, so I did it. And he kept telling me, ‘I’m naked. Do you want to see?’ ” Eventually the phone rang — it was her mother, who had arrived at the hotel to pick her up, she said.“I didn’t know what to do in the circumstance,” Ms. Thomas told Variety. “I didn’t know that I could say no, so I did it. And he kept telling me, ‘I’m naked. Do you want to see?’ ” Eventually the phone rang — it was her mother, who had arrived at the hotel to pick her up, she said.
Ms. Thomas, the daughter of the Liberian ambassador to the United Nations at the time, said she did not tell her mother what had happened until decades later. She said she told close friends and a family member some years later.Ms. Thomas, the daughter of the Liberian ambassador to the United Nations at the time, said she did not tell her mother what had happened until decades later. She said she told close friends and a family member some years later.
In an email on Friday, Ms. Thomas, a playwright, confirmed that Variety had accurately reported her account. She wrote that she had always believed her experience with Mr. Hoffman was an isolated one until she saw another woman’s account last month.In an email on Friday, Ms. Thomas, a playwright, confirmed that Variety had accurately reported her account. She wrote that she had always believed her experience with Mr. Hoffman was an isolated one until she saw another woman’s account last month.
“I realize now, that the reason this continued to happen to others, was because of my silence,” she wrote, “and I feel guilty about that but I hadn’t even processed how badly this shamed and hurt me. Like many others who have had similar experiences, I thought somehow I was to blame, but no more!”“I realize now, that the reason this continued to happen to others, was because of my silence,” she wrote, “and I feel guilty about that but I hadn’t even processed how badly this shamed and hurt me. Like many others who have had similar experiences, I thought somehow I was to blame, but no more!”
Melissa Kester, another woman quoted in Variety, said she met Mr. Hoffman when he was working on the 1987 movie “Ishtar.” Ms. Kester was dating a man who worked on the music for the film, and one day she went to the studio where Mr. Hoffman was recording a vocal track.Melissa Kester, another woman quoted in Variety, said she met Mr. Hoffman when he was working on the 1987 movie “Ishtar.” Ms. Kester was dating a man who worked on the music for the film, and one day she went to the studio where Mr. Hoffman was recording a vocal track.
As her boyfriend and an engineer were busy with technical adjustments, Mr. Hoffman said from inside the booth: “‘Send Melissa in here. I’m bored,’ ” she told Variety.As her boyfriend and an engineer were busy with technical adjustments, Mr. Hoffman said from inside the booth: “‘Send Melissa in here. I’m bored,’ ” she told Variety.
He began to hug her while he was singing, she said, visible to the other men through a window only from the chest up.He began to hug her while he was singing, she said, visible to the other men through a window only from the chest up.
“And as he’s doing that, he literally just stuck his fingers down my pants,” and groped her genitals, Ms. Kester said.“And as he’s doing that, he literally just stuck his fingers down my pants,” and groped her genitals, Ms. Kester said.
She estimated that Hoffman kept his fingers there until he finished the take. Then she moved away from him.She estimated that Hoffman kept his fingers there until he finished the take. Then she moved away from him.
In an email on Friday, Ms. Kester said the Variety account was accurate, and that she had been motivated to come forward to serve as a role model for her daughter.In an email on Friday, Ms. Kester said the Variety account was accurate, and that she had been motivated to come forward to serve as a role model for her daughter.
A third woman, who was not identified, said she met Mr. Hoffman when she was given a nonspeaking part in “Ishtar” in a scene filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York. Mr. Hoffman offered to give her a ride home after a party, and they climbed into the back seat of a full station wagon, where he groped her. She described later visiting his apartment in A third woman, who was not identified, said she met Mr. Hoffman when she was given a nonspeaking part in “Ishtar” in a scene filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York. Mr. Hoffman offered to give her a ride home after a party, and they climbed into the back seat of a full station wagon, where he groped her. She described later visiting his apartment in “a kind of fugue state” set off by her encounter with Mr. Hoffman and abuse she suffered as a child. They had sex.
“a kind of fugue state” set off by her encounter with Mr. Hoffman and abuse she suffered as a child. They had sex.
Asked by Variety if she would describe the encounter in the station wagon as nonconsensual, she said “yes.” As for the encounter at the San Remo, she said, “I don’t know,” Variety reported.Asked by Variety if she would describe the encounter in the station wagon as nonconsensual, she said “yes.” As for the encounter at the San Remo, she said, “I don’t know,” Variety reported.
The Hollywood Reporter also published similar accounts on Thursday, including from Ms. Thomas, Ms. Kester and Kathryn Rossetter, an actress who said Mr. Hoffman groped her repeatedly while they were both in a Broadway production of “Death of a Salesman” in 1983.The Hollywood Reporter also published similar accounts on Thursday, including from Ms. Thomas, Ms. Kester and Kathryn Rossetter, an actress who said Mr. Hoffman groped her repeatedly while they were both in a Broadway production of “Death of a Salesman” in 1983.
The reports follow an essay for The Hollywood Reporter last month by Anna Graham Hunter, who said that the actor groped her and used sexually explicit language in front of her during the making of the 1985 television film “Death of a Salesman,” when she was a 17-year-old production assistant. Ms. Thomas said the essay was what prompted her to come forward.The reports follow an essay for The Hollywood Reporter last month by Anna Graham Hunter, who said that the actor groped her and used sexually explicit language in front of her during the making of the 1985 television film “Death of a Salesman,” when she was a 17-year-old production assistant. Ms. Thomas said the essay was what prompted her to come forward.
At the time, Mr. Hoffman responded to Ms. Hunter’s account with a statement saying: “I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am.”At the time, Mr. Hoffman responded to Ms. Hunter’s account with a statement saying: “I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am.”