The 85-year-old actor, who is only identified by his 'Bonnie and Clyde' role in the lawsuit, is accused of coercing sex from a minor while she was working on a film set in 1973.
- Nov 10, 2022
AceShowbiz - It's been years since Warren Beatty was back in the spotlight due to Best Picture flub at the 2018 Academy Awards and now he's making headlines for the wrong reason again. The silver screen icon is slapped with a lawsuit for allegedly coercing sex from a minor.
The lawsuit was filed on Monday, November 7 by Kristina Charlotte Hirsch in Los Angeles Superior Court. The suit does not specifically name Beatty, but identifies the defendant as the actor who portrayed Clyde in the "Bonnie and Clyde" film and earned an Academy Award nomination for best actor, a clear reference to the 85-year-old star.
In the lawsuit, Hirsch accuses Beatty of "predatory grooming." She claims she met the actor in 1973 while working on a film sex. She was 14 or 15 years old at the time when Beatty, who would have been about 35 at the time, allegedly "paid undue attention" to her.
Hirsch says Beatty commented on her looks and gave her his phone number. She alleged that the 15-time Oscar nominee called her numerous times, invited her to the hotel where he was living and brought her on car rides. She additionally claims that he offered to help her with her homework and commented to her several times about losing her virginity.
The lawsuit claims that Beatty "used his position and status as an adult and a Hollywood movie star to coerce sexual contact with Plaintiff on multiple occasions, including oral sex, simulated sex and finally coerced sexual intercourse with the minor child" throughout 1973.
The suit states that Hirsch was "initially thrilled" by the attention and believed she was in a romantic relationship with him. But the actions have allegedly led to "physical, psychological, emotional, and economic damages which Plaintiff has suffered and continues to suffer to this day." Hirsch claims she has had difficulty interacting with people in positions of authority as a result of the sexual abuse, and has suffered "issues with trust and control."
"It also has resulted in Plaintiff incurring, and will require Plaintiff to incur into the future, expenses for medical and psychological treatment, therapy, and counseling," the lawsuit states. The plaintiff is seeking punitive damages to be determined at trial.
A representative for Beatty has not responded to the lawsuit. The actor has been married to actress Annette Bening since 1992. They have four children, Stephen, Ben, Isabel and Ella.
