Michael Douglas accused of sexual harassment

From Digital Spy

Michael Douglas has been accused of sexual harassment by writer and former employee Susan Braudy, one week after he pre-emptively denied the allegations.

Earlier this month, Douglas went public to deny the accusations against him, which include masturbating in Braudy's presence and using profane and sexually-charged language, in an interview with Deadline. He had said that he wanted to pre-empt Braudy's story because he would prefer to have some control over the narrative, and rejected Braudy's claims in full.

On Thursday (January 18), The Hollywood Reporter published an editor's column sharing Braudy's story, as well as justifying its decision to post the article by giving insight into its vetting process which includes checking for collaborating evidence and consulting its lawyers.

"In Susan Braudy's case, she provided a detailed written account of her experience with Douglas based on notes and files she kept, a timeline of her employment (including pay stubs), and three people she told of her experience who were willing to back her publicly, including two well-known authors," the publication wrote.

"She also has a 1993 letter from the California Women's Law Center showing she inquired about remedies for sexual harassment in the workplace (read it here), though she says she was too intimidated to follow through with a complaint."

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that they had reached out to Douglas over the accusations, which led to the actor pre-empting and speaking out publicly, but the publication added that "[his] strategy didn't alter our vetting process".

"We determined that both Braudy's story and his denial deserved to be published," it said. "Responsible media outlets... should be listening to these stories, vetting them thoroughly and presenting those that pass muster in the proper context. That's our standard, at least."

Braudy told The Hollywood Reporter that her job at the time was to "read scripts, hire and supervise screenwriters, and perhaps most important, to babysit Michael in his apartment".

"[I] did my best to shrug off the cloud of sexual aggression that Michael reflexively emitted," she shared, claiming that he would openly discuss cheating on his wife. "I'd never heard there was a phenomenon called sexual harassment and didn't know the term until the Anita Hill hearings in 1991."

Braudy said that she began to dress in "long, loose layers of black" so he would stop commenting on her body, and that he would often make inappropriate comments.

"One screenwriter I hired asked if he could bring his daughter to meet Michael," she wrote. "She asked Michael for a banana. Michael strode to me and said so that only I could hear, 'Yes. And then you can tell your friends you licked Michael Douglas' banana'. I was appalled."

Braudy then described an incident in early 1989, where he allegedly masturbated in her presence while they were brainstorming for a character.

"Michael unzipped his chinos and I registered something amiss," she said. "Still complimenting my additions to our E.T. imitation, his voice lowered at least half an octave. I peered at him and saw he'd inserted both hands into his unzipped pants. I realised to my horror that he was rubbing his private parts. Within seconds his voice cracked and it appeared to me he'd had an orgasm.

"I said nothing. I was surprised I wasn't falling to pieces even though I was humiliated. I realised he thought he could do anything he wanted because he was so much more powerful than I was."

Braudy said that she immediately left the building, rushing home and getting into bed.

In his interview which was published on January 9, Douglas addressed the accusations (which at the time had not yet gone public) and denied them.

"I talked to the reporter and said, 'Listen, as far as using colourful language in front her, I apologise. None of it was directed at her; she didn't say it was. It was my office and that was the tone that I set and as far as conversations with friends'. I work out of my house, my apartment in New York at the time, to the best of my recollection," he stated.

"As to colourful language, she may have overheard private conversations, and if she was offended, she could have excused herself."

Responding to the claim that he masturbated in Braudy's presence, Douglas said: "I don't know where to begin. This is a complete lie, fabrication, no truth to it whatsoever.

"She supposedly had three friends who would back her up, that she had mentioned this to. I pride myself of being so supportive of the women's movement. My mother was an actress, and I myself married to an actress and have been supportive of this movement wholeheartedly, through all my years.

"I was forced to look over my past. I've had up to 20 female executives who worked at my company in different areas over the years. Over 20 producers I partnered with on pictures have been women. Not to mention all the actresses I've worked with and the hundreds of performers."

Digital Spy has reached out to Douglas for comment on The Hollywood Reporter's article.

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