Writer and director James Toback, who received an Oscar nomination for writing Bugsy, has been accused of sexual harassment by 38 women in a report published in The Los Angeles Times.
In the report, many of the women allege that Mr Toback approached them on the streets of New York City and promised stardom. His meetings would often end with sexual questions and Mr Toback masturbating in front of them or simulating sexual intercourse with them, according to the accounts.
The 72-year-old denied the allegations to The Los Angeles Times, saying he never met any of the women, or if he had it “was for five minutes and (I) have no recollection.”
Thirty-one of the women spoke on the record, including Louise Post, who is a guitarist and vocalist for the band Veruca Salt, and As the World Turns actress Terri Conn. Actress Echo Danon recalled an incident on the set of his film Black and White where Mr Toback put his hands on her and said that he would ejaculate if she looked at his eyes and pinched his nipples. “Everyone wants to work, so they put up with it,” Ms Danon told the Times. “That’s why I put up with it. Because I was hoping to get another job.”
The Times reporter Glenn Whipp said the number of accusers had doubled since the story had published. “James Toback damn you for stealing, damn you for traumatising,” tweeted Rose McGowan, one of the victims of tainted producer Harvey Weinstein.
