‘SNL’ sex-case deal
Woman settles in Sanz ‘assault’ suit
Horatio Sanz has settled a lawsuit that accused him of sexually assaulting an underage superfan at a 2002 “Saturday Night Live” afterparty while cast members including Will Ferrell and Tina Fey allegedly looked on, court papers show.
Sanz’s accuser, who brought the case anonymously in 2021 as a Jane Doe, has settled her claims against the comedian and NBC-Universal for undisclosed terms, according to documents filed last week in Manhattan Supreme Court.
The Pennsylvania woman, now about 37, says she first met Sanz when he was 31 and she was 15 and running an “SNL” fan site.
He allegedly began grooming her for an inappropriate relationship including cybersex, inappropriate touching and sexual assault, the suit claimed.
She alleges that Sanz eventually groped her at a drug-fueled party from Saturday, May 11, to early Sunday, May 12, 2002, while cast members — including Fey, Ferrell, Maya Rudolph and Rachel Dratch — watched and did nothing.
At the same party, she claimed, Sanz sexually assaulted her.
Sanz had invited the girl to a taping of the show in 2000, then to a series of afterparties in 2001 where he allowed her to drink alcohol, touched her inappropriately and asked to her “sit on his lap,” her suit claimed.
He eventually invited her to the 2002 bash where the alleged sexual assault occurred.
She also claims that Sanz had a years-long cybersex relationship with her during which he asked her to take photos of himself, and later bragged to her that he masturbated during their conversations.
A spokesperson at the law firm representing the woman said: “I can confirm that the parties have resolved their dispute and have moved on.”
The rep did not reveal the terms of the settlement.
Lawyers for Sanz, 53, and NBCUniversal didn’t return a request for comment Monday.