Dustin Hoffman Accused Of Sexual Harassment By A New Woman
Veteran actor Dustin Hoffman is being accused, by a third woman, of sexual assault. Hoffman, 80, is being implicated by actress, Kathryn Rossetter, who starred with Hoffman in the Broadway show, Death of Salesman.
Rossetter portrayed the mistress that Hoffman's character, Willy Loman, cheated on his wife with. In an essay published by the Hollywood Reporter, Rossetter claims that Hoffman invited her to his hotel room where he asked for a back rub. The actress stated that this led to an on-going pattern of inappropriate behavior from the actor.
Rossetter elaborated that Hoffman would grab her breast and grope the inside of her thighs during almost every show.
"I couldn't speak to him in the moment because I was on a live mic. He kept it up and got more and more aggressive. One night he actually started to stick his fingers inside me. Night after night I went home and cried. I withdrew and got depressed and did not have any good interpersonal relationships with the cast," Rossetter wrote.
Hoffman's Accusers
Rossetter joins Hoffman's two previous accusers, actress Anna Graham Hunter and producer Wendy Riss Gatsiounis. Hunter wrote in a piece for Hollywood Reporter, stating that Hoffman asked the then 17-year-old for a back rub and a foot massage. This took place during the production of the TV movie for Death of a Salesman.
Gatsiounis claims in an article written for Variety that the actor made "sexual advances" towards her during a business meeting.
In response to Hunter's claims, Hoffman did issue an apology stating that he had "the utmost respect" for women and it was not "reflective" of who he was. However, he denied Gatsiounis' accusations against him.
The Meet the Folkers actor recently got into a heated argument with John Oliver during a panel that celebrated the 20th anniversary of the film, Wag the Dog. Oliver called out Hoffman's apology and brought up the allegation against him which led to an awkward moment that was captured on camera.
Hollywood's Epidemic
Hoffman joins a list of Hollywood moguls that have been accused of sexual assault or misconduct. The allegations began after an in-depth expose was written about the producer, Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein has since been accused of assaulting over 80 women.
Along with Hoffman, actors Kevin Spacey, Ed Westwick, Danny Masterson, and Andy Dick have all been named as sexual predators.
