Three Hoffman accusers explain why they decided to talk now

NEW YORK — Three women who have accused Dustin Hoffman of sexual misconduct say they are still able to watch his movies because they are able to separate the artist from his actions.

One of his alleged victims, Cori Thomas, said she still has admiration for him — though she now sees him as a fallen idol.

“I wanted to be a method actor like him. I was so impressed with his performances in Midnight Cowboy. I really wanted to do that kind of work. And so I think I feel, felt just disappointed. I felt disillusioned,” she said. “I felt disappointed by somebody who I thought was maybe bigger than life and maybe that’s the lesson is that nobody is bigger than life. We’re all humans, but at the same time, there’s also right and wrong … everyone is accountable.”

A handful of women have come forward to accuse the Tootsie star of sexual misconduct, some of which allegedly occurred decades ago. The 80-year-old initially apologized for making an accuser feel uncomfortable with his comments, but in a testy conversation with comedian John Oliver at a public talk this month, he denied any wrongdoing.

Three of his accusers spoke to various media outlets this week, detailing their experiences with Hoffman and trying to explain why they decided to speak up now.

Kathryn Rossetter, who shared the stage with Hoffman in the 1984 Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman, said she knows she’s going to “take a beating” for waiting to tell her story, but she said the sexual-misconduct allegations that toppled Harvey Weinstein gave her the impetus to talk.

“I was committed to having my whole story published because it’s such a long story of how he was a hero and then it was a bait-andswitch in the aftermath,” she said.

Rossetter saw Hoffman as her hero when he helped her land her first Broadway play, but things quickly soured when she says he started repeatedly groping her backstage. She claims he even tried to penetrate her with a finger. Rossetter still struggles with the shame.

“It’s not easy. I deal with it by trying not to look at all the negative comments. I know the truth.”

Anna Graham Hunter was the first woman to come forward. She was a 17-year-old high school senior working as an intern on the film version of Death of a Salesman in 1985. She remembers the actor asking her for a foot rub on her first day on the set. She obliged, but said it made her uncomfortable. She claims the actor often used sexual language and even grabbed her buttocks several times. Hunter says she struck him in an effort to stop it.

Thomas was a friend of one of Hoffman’s daughters. When she was 16, she ended up in the actor’s hotel room waiting for her mother to pick her up. She recalls Hoffman leaving the room to take a shower. He returned in a towel and exposed himself, then asked for a foot rub.

All of the women still appreciate some of Hoffman’s work — with some caveats. Rossetter said she can watch his films dating from before her alleged assault took place.

Hunter said she still has respect for Hoffman’s talent. “He is a brilliant, brilliant actor. I love movies … they don’t always love me back.”