3 Hoffman accusers share stories

Accusations against the actor go back to 1980s

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’ and that sort of thing. So I really wanted to do that kind of work. And so I think I feel, felt just disappointed. I felt disillusioned,” she said.

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 one accuser feel uncomfortable with his comments, but in a testy conversation with comedian John Oliver at public talk this month, he denied any wrongdoing.

Kathryn Rossetter, an actress 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 speak up.

Anna Graham Hunter was the first woman to come forward. She carried a sense of guilt with her for years.

“Most of us have stories like this and we deal with it in different ways,” she said.

In other developments:

■ The Senate Intelligence Committee asked the U.S. spy chief to step up efforts to counter sexual harassment in national security agencies after scores of women complained of inadequate protections, according to a letter by senators dated Tuesday and seen by Reuters.

■ A powerful Florida state senator and Republican candidate for governor resigned Wednesday, the day after an investigation found credible evidence of sexual misconduct. Republican Sen. Jack Latvala continued to deny any wrongdoing as he announced he’s stepping down Jan. 5.

■ Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas, who isn’t seeking re-election amid allegations of sexual harassment, won’t appear on 2018 primary ballots after Democrats unsuccessfully tried Wednesday to leave his name in place.