Jamie Lee Curtis said that Eliza Dushku had previously told her she’d been molested at 12 by a stuntman on the set of the movie True Lies, and that the tragic revelation ‘has now awakened us from our denial slumber to a new, horrific reality’ of child abuse in Hollywood and other industries.
The actress, 58, penned an opinion piece for the Huffington Post on Sunday, a day after Dushku said in a Facebook post that she had been molested by a stuntman named Joel Kramer, who was 36 at the time, on the set of the 1994 action film. (Kramer has denied the allegations, telling Deadline Dushku’s recollections are ‘outlandish, manipulated lies.’)
‘She had shared that story with me privately a few years ago,’ said Curtis, who played the mother of Dushku’s character in the motion picture. ‘I was shocked and saddened then and still am today.’
Scroll below for video
The latest: Jamie Lee Curtis, 58, (L), said Sunday that Eliza Dushku, 37, (R), had previously told her she’d been molested at 12 by a stuntman on the set of their 1994 movie True Lies
Curtis said that ‘many of us involved in True Lies were parents,’ including herself, director James Cameron and co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger. ‘What allegedly happened to Eliza, away from the safety net of all of us and our purview is a terrible, terrible thing to learn about and have to reconcile.’
The Hollywood veteran, noting she’s worked alongside child actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Macaulay Culkin and Lindsay Lohan, explained the ‘complicated relationship’ of young performers in show business.
‘They are being asked to do adult work with you in an adult field, surrounded by hundreds of adults who want them to perform for them, and yet are still inherently children,’ she said. ‘I have wrestled with my role as a mentor, colleague, surrogate, and friend, and each relationship is individual and unique.
‘Are we really friends? Are we work mates? Children are not mature enough to recognize that subtle difference.’
Way back when: Curtis played the wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in the hit
Call for action: Curtis said that Hollywood needs to ensure ‘all abusers will be held accountable’ moving forward
Shocking: Dushku was only 12 when she appeared in the movie, playing Schwarzenegger’s daughter
Curtis said that while there are ‘long-held and hard fought’ regulations geared toward child actors, ‘these are often broken,’ a condition she says has to be corrected moving forward.
‘I hope today that what can come from all of these exposures are new guidelines and safe spaces for people – regardless of age, gender, race or job – to share their concerns and truths and that all abusers will be held accountable,’ Curtis said. ‘The truth will set us all free.
‘Hopefully that freedom will bring a new ability to call out abuse and, when that abuse occurs, to have swift and consistent action, so that no one again will have to wait 25 years for their truth to be heard.’
Accused: The man Dushku claims abused her, Joel Kramer, has denied Dushku’s allegations, calling them ‘outlandish, manipulated lies’
Support: True Lies cast member Tom Arnold said he was proud of Dushku
Another True Lies cast member, Tom Arnold, also made a statement about Dushku’s allegation after a follower suggested she should have told him about the molestation, as he would have been proactive about protecting her.
‘I promise you @JimCameron @Schwarzenegger @jamieleecurtis would’ve done something too,’ said Arnold, who re-tweeted Curtis’s piece. ‘We all love & are proud of @elizadushku #metoo.’
Some people online took exception to Curtis’s remarks that Dushku’s claims have ‘awakened’ people from a ‘denial slumber to a new, horrific reality,’ citing Corey Feldman’s years-long campaign of calling attention to what he says is an epidemic of sex abuse aimed toward child actors in Hollywood.