New York’s #MeToo law known as the Adult Survivors Act has ensnared a number of Hollywood celebrities and prominent Democrats who are facing accusations of sexual misconduct, assault, and rape dating as far back as the 1980s.
Why is that? Because the law, which Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed last year, lifts the statute of limitations on such complaints — with no time limit on when the alleged actions took place.
The ironic kicker is that Hochul’s law was intended to hurt former President Donald Trump as he aims for re-election in 2024.
E. Jean Carroll filed her latest suit against Trump on November 24, 2022 — the first day the law took effect. Carroll sued Trump for battery and defamation, with a federal judge scheduling the trial for January, just days before Republican primary voters begin the presidential nomination process.
In a Truth Social post, Trump vehemently denied the accusations.
“It is a Hoax and a lie, just like all the other Hoaxes that have been played on me for the past seven years. And, while I am not supposed to say it, I will. This woman is not my type!” the post stated.
The suit is one of several that Trump’s political opponents have thrown in his path in their bid to harm his effort to win back the White House.
Under the Adult Survivors Act, plaintiffs have had a one-year time period that started November 24, 2022 in which to file their complaints. The past few weeks have seen a flurry of suits against prominent celebrities including Jaime Foxx, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Bill Cosby, punk rocker Justin Sane, and musician Axl Rose.
Actress Julia Ormond has sued both Disney and CAA under the law, claiming she was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein in New York in 1995 when Disney owned Miramax.
The Legends of the Fall actress alleged that CAA executives knew about Weinstein’s history of sexual misconduct and even retaliated against her when she brought up the 1995 incident.
Prominent Democrats have also found themselves caught up in the law, with suits having been filed against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Brooklyn’s state Sen. Kevin Parker.
In all, more than 2500 lawsuits were filed during the yearlong window. And more could be coming soon.
Both lawmakers who sponsored the Adult Survivors Act have reportedly stated they support extending the window by another year.
Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, both Manhattan Democrats, say they’ll also explore a permanent change to New York’s statute of limitations for sexual assault, according to a NY1 report.
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