Taking to her Twitter account, the Time's Up and #MeToo advocate reveals that she has been 'heartsick' over the allegations against Argento and is still 'reeling' from the news.
- Aug 22, 2018
AceShowbiz - Time's Up and #MeToo advocate Mira Sorvino has finally broken her silence on sexual assault allegations leveled to her fellow advocate Asia Argento. Argento, who is one of Harvey Weinstein accusers along with Mira, was accused of paying a settlement to a former child actor who accused her of sexually assault him five years ago.
Taking to her Twitter account on Tuesday, August 21, Sorvino revealed that she had been "heartsick" over the allegations against Argento and is still "reeling" from the news. "Time will clarify things and perhaps she will be exonerated," she wrote. "But if true, there is no lens that makes it better."
"Child sexual assault is a heinous crime and is against all that I and the #MeToo movement stands for," she continued. "I remain dedicated to fight for all victims and change the culture that encourages abuse of power in sexual relationships."
Having just touched down from several weeks abroad, I am reeling from the recent news. Although hoping against hope that it is not true, here are my current thoughts: pic.twitter.com/8oOF3LmHLQ
— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) August 22, 2018
Jamie Bennett played Asia's son in 2004 movie "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things".
The former child actor, who is now 22, claimed that she took him to her hotel room, gave him alcohol and then "kissed him, pushed him back on the bed, removed his pants and performed oral sex."
Argento allegedly agreed to pay Bennett $380,000 over the course of 18 months as part of a settlement, which began with a payment of $200,000 in April in return for the photographs and their copyright.
Argento, meanwhile, denied the allegation made by Bennett. A statement from the actress, obtained by journalist Yashar Ali, read, "I have never had any sexual relationship with Bennett." She claims her late boyfriend, celebrity chef and travel show host Anthony Bourdain, agreed to settle with Bennett to stop his "long-standing persecution" of his girlfriend.
"Anthony insisted the matter be handled privately and this was also what Bennett wanted," Argento wrote. "Anthony was afraid of the possible negative publicity that such (a) person, whom he considered dangerous, could have brought upon us."
"We decided to deal compassionately with Bennett's demand for help and give it to him. Anthony personally undertook to help Bennett economically, upon the condition that we would no longer suffer any further intrusions in our life," she continued.
