Actor and director Warren Beatty has been accused of sexually assaulting a girl in 1973, when she was 14 and 15 years old.
On Monday, Kristina Charlotte Hirsch filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court that alleges Beatty used his Hollywood status to “groom, manipulate, exploit, and coerce sexual contact” with her. Hirsch claimed the abuse took place when she met Beatty on a film set, when he was 35 years old.
Hirsch's suit did not mention Beatty by name, but identified the primary defendant as "an actor who was nominated for an Academy Award for portraying Clyde in Bonnie and Clyde."
Hirsch detailed that Beatty's relationship with her began after he paid “undue attention” to her. They exchanged phone numbers and he invited her back to his hotel room, as well as brought her along on car rides. He also offered to help her with homework, and allegedly made comments about Hirsch losing her virginity.
His comments eventually escalated, as the suit claimed Beatty “used his position and status as an adult and a Hollywood movie star to coerce sexual contact with Plaintiff on multiple occasions, including oral sex, simulated sex and finally coerced sexual intercourse with the minor child.”
Hirsch is now suing for damages over “severe emotional, physical, and psychological distress” that she maintains have continued into the present. She shared that she now has difficulty interacting with authority figures, and has suffered from “issues with trust and control.”
Hirsch thought she “was involved in a romantic relationship with a movie star," and while she enjoyed the attention as a teenager, she now realizes she was being groomed.
Hirsch's lawyers have declined to comment, according to The New York Times, as they believe the complaint will speak for itself. Representatives for Beatty have yet to release a statement.
A California law from 2019 allows Hirsch's suit to go forward, despite the alleged incidents taking place several decades ago. Until January 1, 2023, the "lookback window" allows adults in the state are allowed to temporarily override the statute of limitations and file sexual abuse claims that may have been overlooked in their day.
Hirsch is requesting a jury trial, and that all past, present and future damages to be determined via trial. She has also asked for attorney fee compensation.
