A self-professed porn actress who alleges sheriff’s deputies inappropriately touched her after she was arrested at the Abbey Bar & Grill in West Hollywood in 2022 has reached a tentative settlement in her lawsuit against Los Angeles County, according to court papers filed Tuesday by the plaintiff’s attorney.
The woman is identified only as Jane Doe in the Beverly Hills Superior Court lawsuit, which alleges sexual battery, sexual assault, battery by a law enforcement officer and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Her lawyer filed court papers with Judge Edward B. Moreton Jr. notifying him of a “conditional” resolution of the case with the expectation a request for dismissal will be brought by May 31. No terms were divulged.
According to the suit, Doe was a customer on April 16, 2022 at the Abbey, which the suit describes as an “LGBTQ-friendly” establishment located on Robertson Boulevard. She was mingling with friends and other patrons while wearing a black skirt and black top emblazoned with the logo Brazzers, a reference to a pornographic video production company, the suit states.
“Plaintiff was and is a widely known and easily identifiable female adult entertainer or pornstar actress,” the suit filed last June 1 states. “Due to her popularity, plaintiff is routinely recognized by viewers of pornographic videos, as well as consumers of popular culture media.”
Doe says she was detained and arrested, but does not state why. She alleges two deputies removed her bra and inappropriately touched her, then wrongfully told her to take off her underwear while she was in the rear seat of a patrol car.
Doe further alleges the deputies, none of whom were Black like her, knew she was a porn actress and believed she was “deserving of the indignity of being sexually violated.”
Doe continues to be fearful of her health, safety and freedom and to suffer emotional distress because of her interaction with the deputies, according to the suit, which further states she delayed taking legal action for fear of retaliation by the deputies.
However, in earlier court papers filed, Los Angeles County lawyers cited multiple defenses, including immunity and the statute of limitations. The attorneys also maintained Doe’s claims were “barred by the doctrine of consent” and that her lawsuit should be dismissed.