Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein is also being probed by law enforcement for sexual assault. (Reuters)
An attorney for disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein blasted Asia Argento on Monday, following a bombshell report that claimed she paid money to silence a man who accused her of sexual assault when he was 17.
Argento memorably became a voice of the #MeToo movement after she accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her.
In a statement sent to Fox News on Monday, Weinstein's attorney Benjamin Brafman wrote: "This development reveals a stunning level of hypocrisy by Asia Argento, one of the most vocal catalysts who sought to destroy Harvey Weinstein.
"What is perhaps most egregious, is the timing, which suggests that at the very same time Argento was working on her own secret settlement for the alleged sexual abuse of a minor, she was positioning herself at the forefront of those condemning Mr. Weinstein, despite the fact that her sexual relationship with Mr. Weinstein was between two consenting adults which lasted for more than four years," the statement continued.
"The sheer duplicity of her conduct is quite extraordinary and should demonstrate to everyone how poorly the allegations against Mr. Weinstein were actually vetted and accordingly, cause all of us to pause and allow due process to prevail, not condemnation by fundamental dishonesty."
On Sunday, The New York Times published an article claiming that Argento was accused by child star Jimmy Bennett of setting up a sexual encounter with him in California when he was 17 – below the age of consent in that state – and she was 37.
Argento, 42, had worked with Bennett 10 years earlier on the 2004 film “The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things” when he was 7 years old. He played the son of Argento’s character and the two reportedly remained close after the movie finished. In public social media posts over the years, they were known to refer to each other as variations of “mom” and “son.”
The New York Times reported, citing court documents, that the actress and former girlfriend of the late Anthony Bourdain paid roughly $380,000 to Bennett after he confronted her. In the documents, Bennett sought to sue Argento for an alleged encounter at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Marina del Rey, Calif., on May 9, 2013.
Fox News normally does not name alleged victims of sexual assault, but in this case a basic description of the facts makes Bennett easily identifiable.
Bennett arrived with a family member but Argento reportedly sent the family member away so she could be alone with him. At that time, Bennett claimed she showed him notes she had previously written to him and gave him alcohol. She then kissed him, pushed him back on the bed, performed oral sex on him and then the two had intercourse, the newspaper reported.
The documents also came with photos, reportedly taken by Bennett, of the two in bed together at the time.
On the day of the alleged assault, the actress posted a series of photos on Instagram of the two of them together. The first was captioned, “Waiting for my long lost son my love @jimmymbennett in trepidation #Marinadelrey smoking cigarettes like there was no next week.”
Bennett himself responded, “I’m almost there! :)”
Bennett’s lawyers filed the paperwork in November 2017, just a month after Argento was quoted in the bombshell New Yorker article that claimed Weinstein was a serial sexual predator. She accused the movie mogul of rape, but Weinstein has denied all accusations of non-consensual sex.
In the court documents, Bennett reportedly said the experience hurt his acting career. He got his start in the 2003 movie “Daddy Day Care” and may be recognizable to some as young James T. Kirk in the 2009 “Star Trek” film. His most recent roles include a recurring part on “Bosch” and the 2017 film “Heartthrob.”
In a statement to Fox News on Monday, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said that the department "is aware of the media reports naming Asia Argento as being involved in an alleged 2013 incident in an area policed by our Marina Del Rey Station.
"To date, the LASD has not located any police report alleging criminal activity within our jurisdiction in relation to this incident," the statement continued. "After becoming aware of the allegations, the LASD’s Special Victims Bureau is attempting to reach out to the reported victim and/or his representatives in an effort to appropriately document any potential criminal allegations."
Reps for both Bennett and Argento did not immediately respond to Fox News’ requests for comment.
Fox News' Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.
Trending
Who's making headlines in television, music, movies and more from Hollywood to the Heartland.