Film star: I was abused by director
Film star Asia Argento, who was one of the earliest accusers to speak out about disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, claims she was sexually “abused” by director Rob Cohen more than a decade ago.
Argento made the new allegation to Il Corriere della Sera, an Italian publication, asserting that Cohen, who directed the first “Fast & Furious” movie, gave her GHB, a substance that’s been described as a date-rape drug.
The Italian-born Argento also confirmed her allegation against Cohen to Variety on Sunday.
“He abused me, making me drink GHB, he had a bottle of it,” Argento told the Italian newspaper, according to Variety.
“At the time, I really didn’t know what it was,” Argento, 45, continued. “I woke up in the morning naked in his bed.”
Argento says the alleged abuse occurred while she was working on the 2002 movie “xXx,” which Cohen directed.
A representative for Cohen, 71, denied Argento’s claim to AFP, a French news agency, telling the outlet the accusation is “absolutely false.”
“When they worked together, they had an excellent working relationship and Mr. Cohen considered her a friend, so this claim dating back to 2002 is bewildering, especially given what has been reported about her in recent years,” the rep said, according to Variety.
Argento (inset) also shared her accusation against Cohen during an appearance Saturday on the Italian entertainment show “Verissimo,” according to Variety.
She said she wasn’t immediately aware of what occurred, but “discovered later, speaking with a friend who opened my eyes about that substance [GHB].”
Cohen’s daughter previously accused him of sexual assault, writing in 2019 that the alleged abuse occurred years earlier.
He was also accused in a 2019 report published by HuffPost of sexually assaulting a woman, identified only under the pseudonym Jane, in 2015.
Both accusations have been denied by Cohen.
On Saturday, Argento said she didn’t initially plan to go public with her claim, but ultimately decided to after two other women made accusations against Cohen.