Inspired by the #MeToo movement in Hollywood, two more actresses have come forward to publicly discuss their sexual assault allegations against Steven Seagal.
In a press conference on Monday with their attorney Lisa Bloom, Regina Simons and Faviola Dadis — two women who previously told stories of their alleged sexual assaults to The Wrap — came forward to publicly discuss the separate alleged incidents with Seagal. Their hope is that more women will be empowered to come forward with #MeToo stories of their own.
Simons stated at the press conference, per The Daily Beast, that Seagal invited her to a wrap party for the 1994 film On Deadly Ground. However, when Simons arrived, only Seagal was there. She alleged:
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"[Seagal] took my hand and led me into an adjacent room which appeared to be a bedroom. He closed the door and approached me from behind. He started kissing my neck and taking off my clothes... Seagal was more than twice my size and twice my age…I froze. I remember him taking off his robe and the next thing I knew he was inside of me. There was nothing consensual about this. I couldn’t move and I felt as if I was watching my body from above."
Dadis, a model at the time, alleged that Seagal assaulted her when she was auditioning for one of his films in 2002. She was 17-years-old at the time.
"[Seagal] [slid] his hand across my vaginal area... [I] quickly yelled that this audition is over," Dadis claimed at the conference.
Dadis also revealed that she chose to report the case to the Los Angeles Police Department so that her statement could potentially provide support for other women.
In January, Variety reported that the LAPD is investigating Seagal for an alleged 2005 sexual assault. In February, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office stated it is reviewing a sex abuse case against Seagal.
Back in November of 2017, several women came forward about Seagal's allegedly inappropriate behavior. Juliana Margulies revealed on SiriusXM that Seagal allegedly harassed her in his hotel room when she was a young actress vying for a role. Portia de Rossi tweeted that Seagal unzipped his pants while she was auditioning for a part as well. CSI: Miami star Eva LaRue also accused Seagal of sexual misconduct, telling Inside Edition that the actor came out in just an open kimono and underwear during her own meeting with him at his house.
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Bloom, who stated that "all legal options" are open in regards to Seagal, explained the reason for Dadis and Simons taking a public stage to share their stories.
"I do believe there are other accusers of Steven Seagal," Bloom revealed Monday. "One of the reasons why we do press conferences is to let them know that we are here, we are willing to help you…Almost every time I have a press conference additional accusers contact me."
There is, sadly, a reason why many people accused of sexual misconduct do not have only one accusation against them. Those who get away with sexual misconduct once often believe they can get away with the same deplorable actions time and time again. The real tragedy is that, oftentimes, they're right. While no one owes anyone a #MeToo story, those who do choose to speak up often empower other survivors to do the same. When many people join together to say "enough," the world is more likely to listen... though, hopefully, we can start moving to a place in society where just one voice is considered valid.
Seagal has previously denied the accusations against him. Refinery29 has reached out to a representative for Seagal and will update this post should we hear back.
If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please call the RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).