Oscar-nominated filmmaker Paul Schrader has denied sexual assault allegations made by a former assistant, with his attorney telling IndieWire that he intends to fight the accusations vigorously.
Schrader, best known for writing and co-writing several Martin Scorsese films including Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, as well as directing his own films such as First Reformed and Oh, Canada, was accused of sexual assault and harassment by a former assistant in a breach-of-contract lawsuit.
According to the suit, despite agreeing to a confidentiality settlement with his former assistant in February, Schrader has failed to adhere to the terms of the settlement, leading the assistant, identified only as Jane Doe, to file a motion arguing that Schrader had violated the terms of their agreement.
The 26-year-old Doe alleged that the assault and harassment took place between 2021 and 2024, and included two incidents at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024 where Schrader was premiering his new film, Oh, Canada.
The motion states that Schrader “demanded Ms. Doe go to his hotel room, trapped her inside, grabbed her arms, and thrust his face into hers to kiss her against her will, and then further restrained her in an effort to keep her in the room before she managed to free herself and flee the hotel room.”
Another incident that also took place at the festival involved Schrader opening his hotel room door “wearing nothing but an open bathrobe with his penis fully exposed.” As Doe attempted to pack Schrader’s bags, “he repeatedly commented, ‘I am so sweaty. I sweated through the bedsheets. Feel how wet they are.‘”
Speaking to IndieWire, Schrader’s attorney Phillip Kessler alleged that there were two kisses between the pair—one at Cannes and another months prior—but that Schrader backed off after his advances were unreciprocated, and denied the allegations pertaining to the incident described in the hotel room. Kessler also claimed that the confidentiality settlement from February was “unsigned” and therefore “legally baseless.”
Doe worked as Schrader’s assistant from May 2021 to September 2024, when she was terminated. The motion filed with the New York State Supreme Court claims that Schrader “used his position of power over Ms. Doe (who is 52 years younger than him) to force her to work in a sexually hostile, intimidating, and humiliating environment on a daily, if not hourly, basis.”
After her termination and the alleged receipt of several emails from Schrader acknowledging that his conduct was “unwelcome and offensive,” Doe retained legal counsel and, following months of negotiations, reached a settlement with Schrader’s lawyers that Doe argues was agreed to in writing, with the payment to be spread out over seven months.
The motion then states that Schrader’s attorney contacted Doe’s legal team last month to share that following some “soul searching,” Schrader had decided not to proceed with payment to Doe for the full amount, prompting her recent filing this week.
The former assistant’s attorney, Menaka Fernando, said in a statement shared with NBC News that, “Ms. Doe is simply seeking to enforce the settlement agreement between the parties resolving her sexual harassment and sexual assault claims.”
