Renowned US actor Jamie Foxx, birth name Eric Marlon Bishop, is now entangled in a legal battle as a woman comes forward with allegations of sexual assault dating back eight years.
The accuser, who remains unnamed, asserts that Foxx groped her without consent during an encounter at a New York City restaurant.
The lawsuit, which cites charges of sexual assault, abuse, assault, and battery, seeks damages from the acclaimed actor.
Foxx’s representatives have yet to respond to inquiries from the BBC regarding the allegations.
According to legal documents, the purported incident unfolded around 01:00 on August 26, 2015, at Catch NYC. The accuser, seated next to Foxx, approached the actor for a photograph.
Reportedly intoxicated, Foxx agreed and proceeded to make inappropriate comments about the woman’s appearance.
Subsequently, he allegedly led her to a secluded area, where he touched her breasts and violated her underwear without consent.
The situation purportedly concluded when the accuser’s friend intervened.
The lawsuit extends beyond Foxx, implicating Mark Birnbaum, the owner of the restaurant and bar.
The accuser contends that both Birnbaum and restaurant employees failed in their duty of care, allowing the incident to transpire.
As of now, Birnbaum has not provided any comments on the allegations.
The accuser is seeking damages for severe emotional distress, anxiety, humiliation, embarrassment, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other physical and emotional ramifications resulting from what the lawsuit terms as “heinous acts.”
This legal action emerges just ahead of the impending conclusion of the New York Adult Survivors Act on November 24.
This legislation permits alleged victims of sex crimes to pursue legal action even after the statute of limitations has expired. The act has been employed recently in lawsuits against several notable figures, including former President Donald Trump, Sean Combs, Bill Cosby, Cuba Gooding Jr, and Russell Brand.
Jamie Foxx, acclaimed for his Best Actor Academy Award-winning performance in the 2004 film ‘Ray,’ now finds himself in the spotlight for a different kind of scrutiny as the legal proceedings unfold.
The actor’s future trajectory may well hinge on the resolution of these serious and consequential allegations.
