Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HOLLYWOOD
RPO conductor denies assaults
Defiant Michael Douglas has come forward to deny accusations he sexually harassed a woman 32 years ago. The actor, the latest star implicated in the Hollywood sex scandal, described allegations that he masturbated in front of an employee of his production company as a “complete nightmare”.
Douglas, who is being supported by his wife Catherine Zeta-jones, took the unusual step after his lawyer had been contacted for a response to the claims being made in movie trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter.
The 73-year-old said he “felt the need to get ahead” of the “cautionary tale” after it left his children fearing their dad would be labelled a sexual harasser.
Douglas has been accused by a blogger who worked for him around 32 years ago of masturbating in front of her and using “colourful language” while she was in his presence.
She also said he “blackballed” her from getting further work in the industry after she left his employment.
The Wall Street star, who said he was now “fearful” of losing work, revealed he was approached about the claims just before Christmas – on the same day his son Dylan, 17, was accepted to college.
“When we were all ecstatic... [then] I got a message from my attorney that The Hollywood Reporter wanted to do a story about an employee that worked for me approximately 32 years ago,” Douglas said.
“She claims that, one, I used colourful language in front of her, not at her, but that I used colourful language.
“Two, she claims that in conversations I had in front of her, on the phone, that I spoke raunchily, or dirtily with friends of mine, in private conversations.
“Three, she claims that I blackballed her from the industry and stopped her from getting another job.
“And then four, she claims that I masturbated in front of her.”
He added: “I don’t know where to begin. This is a complete lie, fabrication, no truth to it whatsoever.”
Around the time, the THE Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s principal conductor has resigned amid allegations of sexual assault.
World-renowned Charles Dutoit, also the RPO’S artistic director, had been due to leave in October 2019.
The London-based orchestra said an emergency meeting advanced the date after his position became “untenable”. It said the decision was taken alongside Mr Dutoit and follows “claims of inappropriate conduct by him, first reported on December 21, 2017”. He will be replaced by “distinguished guest conductors”.
The Swiss maestro, 81, denies allegations by four women that he forced himself on them. It is reported that he attacked three opera singers and a musician in five US cities between 1985 and 2010.
Locations allegedly include his dressing room and hotel. He said the claims have “no basis in truth”. dad-of-three had been producing and filming for the 1985 action romance The Jewel of the Nile.
He said, throughout his career, he has prided himself on keeping a good reputation in the business. “It’s extremely painful,” Douglas went on. “I don’t have skeletons in my closet or anyone else who’s coming out or saying this.
“The part that hurt the worst is having to share something like this to your wife and your children. My kids are really