A woman has filed a lawsuit against Warren Beatty, accusing the actor of grooming and sexual assault in 1973. The suit alleges that Beatty “used his role, status, and power as a well-known Hollywood Star to gain access to, groom, manipulate, exploit, and coerce sexual contact” from the plaintiff when she was 14 years old, resulting in “severe emotional, physical and psychological distress,” according to a copy of the filing obtained by Variety. Kristina Charlotte Hirsch, who currently resides in Louisiana, filed the suit in the Los Angeles Superior Court on November 7 and is represented by Michael Reck and Michael Finnegan of Jeff Anderson & Associates, the same firm that represented numerous child sex-abuse victims involving the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts. Vulture has reached out to Beatty’s reps for comment.
Although the filing does not mention Beatty by name, it identifies him as the actor nominated for an Oscar for his role as Clyde in the critically acclaimed film Bonnie & Clyde. Hirsch claims she met the actor on a set in 1973, where he gave her “undue attention” and “commented repeatedly on her looks, gave her his phone number, and instructed her to call him when she was near the hotel in Los Angeles” where he was living at the time. She was “thrilled” by his attention at first, the suit claims, and met up with him numerous times. Beatty inserted himself into Hirsch’s life, brought her on car rides, offered homework help, and spoke to her about “losing her virginity on multiple occasions.”
Hirsch alleges that the actor coerced sexual contact with her frequently, including oral sex, simulated sex, and sexual intercourse, and says she believed she was in a romantic relationship with him. Their relationship continued until late 1973, according to the suit. As a direct result of the alleged abuse, Hirsch says she has trouble interacting with others, including those in positions of authority and with whom she has intimate or familial relationships. She is seeking damages for the “physical, psychological, emotional, and economic” distress the abuse caused. Because the filing date falls within California’s three-year “lookback window” for claims of child sexual abuse, Hirsch can sue Beatty outside the statute of limitations.
