Actor Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan, Twin Peaks, Black Hawk Down) is the latest adult to be accused of sexually assaulting a minor. And just like the stories surrounding Kevin Spacey and Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, the details are disturbing.
The Hollywood Reporter published an explosive story on Monday night detailing a 2003 incident in which Sizemore allegedly molested an 11-year-old girl during a still portrait session for the film Born Killers. According to THR, the actor "either rubbed his finger against the girl's vagina or inserted it inside."
Twelve people from the film's cast and crew confirmed to THR that the girl, who has requested not to be named, told her parents about the incident and that Sizemore was swiftly sent away from the set.
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"At one point her eyes got just huge, like she could've vomited. I was watching her," actress Robyn Adamson told THR. "She soon reintegrated and kept going, although she had trouble taking direction. Later, when I was told about what happened, I knew exactly what it was."
However, THR reports that production manager Cassidy Lunnen claimed that neither the girl nor her parents were as sure about what happened at the time, stating that "it was unclear...what had actually taken place and if it was intentional or not."
The parents eventually contacted their daughter's agent and talked to the police, though according to producer Michael Manshel, they ultimately chose not to press charges.
"We also talked to Tom at the time, and told him everything that had been told to us, and he said: 'I've done a lot of awful things, and I'd never do anything with kids,'" Manshel said. "We considered whether we had some responsibility to him to not pass judgment on him."
Another producer, Gus Spoliansky, added, "We took the allegation extremely seriously and...were willing to do anything, including dismissing Tom. We just couldn't be police, judge, and jury."
Those last two comments are incredibly eye-opening and unfortunate. For years, those in the entertainment industry (and seemingly every other industry) gave abusers and predators the benefit of the doubt instead of believing survivors who were brave enough to speak up. In this case, People reports that Sizemore already had a history of abuse against women.
While the girl, now a 26-year-old woman, told THR that she and her family are looking into the possibility of taking legal action, it's hard to imagine how things may have been different for her if those people in positions of power believed her the first time around.
Refinery29 has reached out to Sizemore's representatives for comment.