A one-time aspiring actress came forward Monday with allegations she was sexually abused as a teenager by actor Steven Seagal in a Southland hotel room during what was supposed to be a film audition.
Faviola Dadis, speaking at a Woodland Hills news conference with attorney Lisa Bloom and another woman who previously accused Seagal of sexual misconduct, said she met with Seagal in 2002 when she was 17 years old to audition for a film about Genghis Khan.
She said she went into his hotel room, and stripped down to a bikini at his direction. But he then began fondling her, she said.
“I quickly yelled that this audition is over, and began gathering my things,” Dadis said. “Steven sat there calmly as if nothing had happened, while I was noticeably upset and terrified by the experience.”
Dadis added, “I left feeling horrified and totally violated.” She said she did not go to the authorities about what had happened because she feared she would not be able to find work in the entertainment industry.
But she said she was inspired to come forward in light of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment in Hollywood.
Another woman, Regina Simons, also spoke at the Woodland Hills news conference, recounting allegations against Seagal that she previously discussed during an NBC appearance in January. She claims she went to Seagal’s house in 1995 for a wrap party after the filming of his movie “On Deadly Ground,” but when she arrived, there was nobody else there.
“He started kissing my neck and taking off my clothes,” she said. “I was in shock. I was completely caught off guard. (Seagal) was more than twice my size and twice my age. I was not sexually active.”
Seagal has denied allegations of sexual misconduct, which have been made in recent months by actresses Jenny McCarthy and Portia de Rossi. He posted a lengthy statement on his Facebook page in Janaury, saying he was being attacked by “the deep state fascist liberals and the secret government” and was the target of a “modern day witch-hunt.”
His attorneys posted a statement in January in response to Simons’ claims, calling them “completely fictional and made up.”
“Mr. Seagal is innocent. All of the accusations against him are false. It is well known that Steven Seagal does not share the political views of the mainstream in Hollywood. It seems clear he is being targeted because of his political beliefs,” his attorneys wrote.
–City News Service