Former Child Star Raquel Lee Recalls Sexual Assault By Disney Employee, 'Used Hugs To Get Close...'
Former child Star Raquel Lee detailed the multiple sexual assaults she encountered by a middle-aged employee at Disney.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleFormer child star Raquel Lee Bolleau has been trending in the headlines over the past few days after she made serious allegations against Disney. The actress stated that while filming the Disney Channel original movie The Poof Point in 2001, she encountered sexual assault. Lee was just 14 at the time of her assault.
Raquel Lee recalls her sexual assault ordeal
In a complaint, Lee alleges that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by an unnamed, middle-aged male Disney employee. Recalling the same, Lee mentioned that she was supplied with alcohol by the man and was assaulted multiple times. The man was involved in the filming of the movie, groomed her for her role, and then went on to assault her.
The initial assaults happened in his room at a hotel where the cast and crew were staying during production in Salt Lake City and then later on a flight back to Los Angeles. Not just this, in addition to assaulting her multiple times, he would come and whisper ‘sexually explicit and harassing comments’ into her ear on the set. Lee also claimed that the man in question “used hugs to get close to her.”
Raquel Lee sued Disney for being ignorant towards her sexual abuse
The misconduct occurred “in plain view of the cast and crew and could be heard by the sound technicians managing the cast’s microphones”. Despite all this, no one from Disney intervened and bothered to investigate the matter. On the other hand, the man who assaulted her “regularly made sexually explicit jokes and commentary on the set” in front of minors. He also passed “sexually explicit comments about” Lee’s body.
The assault started taking a toll on her physical and mental health. She claimed that adults working on the production noticed dramatic changes in her behaviour and performance as well. She appeared sick and intoxicated. In her complaint, she alleges this was “a stark difference from the dedicated, studious and diligent child actress who had joined the movie.”
Despite this, no one from Disney bothered to investigate. On the other hand, the executives blamed her for her deteriorating performance, describing her as “out of control”. She was accused of having ‘a demon inside her’ and engaging in sex acts with a member of the crew at the age of 14.’ Her litigation also added that Disney canceled her role in a then-forthcoming production with the studio. She is now seeking damages for alleged economic losses and emotional distress, as well as punitive damages. In a statement to PEOPLE, Lee’s attorneys, Douglas Wigdor and Jane Kim, said:
“Over the last decade, countless child actors have come forward to bravely share their experiences of abuse by adults in entertainment. As former government prosecutors, our message to the entertainment industry is simple: This conduct is inexcusable, and those involved — directly or indirectly — must be held accountable.”
Disney declined to comment on the litigation. However, the complaint contends that Lee’s experience was part of a long pattern at the studio: “This is not the first time that Disney has enabled a sexual predator to target and abuse vulnerable victims.”
What do you think about Raquel Lee Bolleau's horrific detail of her sexual assault at the mere age of 14?
Images Courtesy: IMDB
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