Weeks after she was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy, Asia Argento has conceded that there was, in fact, a sexual encounter between her and the minor; however, the Italian actress claims she was the victim in the 2013 incident.
On Tuesday, Argento’s attorney Mark Jay Heller released a statement defending his client against the sexual assault allegations. Argento has been accused of assaulting her former co-star Jimmy Bennett when he was still underage. The actress is also accused of attempting to silence Bennett with a $380,000 payout, as reported by the New York Times in August. This information came as a shock to many, as Argento is one of Harvey Weinstein’s alleged victims, and has become a leading voice within the #MeToo movement.
Heller confirmed Argento did agree to pay Bennett the aforementioned sum; however, the attorney insists that the agreement doesn’t prove that his client is a sexual predator.
Heller’s statement read:
The attorney insists Argento never wanted to pay Bennett, but Bourdain insisted to foot the bill in an effort to avoid a controversy that could damage their careers. Bourdain, who died by suicide back in June, had reportedly paid Bennett $250,000 out of the $380,000 deal. Heller said Argento would not make further payments.
You can read Heller’s full statement here.
On Wednesday, TMZ reported Bennett intends to file a sexual assault claim against Argento.