CNN announced that they're pulling episodes of Parts Unknown that feature Asia Argento following sexual assault allegations.
Argento was featured in two episodes of the late Anthony Bourdain’s travel show. According to Buzzfeed News, neither of the episodes are available to watch on the company’s streaming platform, CNN Go. "In light of the recent news reports about Asia Argento, CNN will discontinue airing past episodes of Parts Unknown that included her, until further notice," a spokesperson for the show said in a statement.
Argento has also been dropped from the upcoming cycle 12 of The X Factor Italy, according to Deadline, but will most likely appear in episodes that have already been taped.
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This news follows allegations that Argento sexually assaulted and then paid off actor and singer Jimmy Bennett. Court documents surfaced detailing the alleged assault occurring in a hotel room in California in 2013, when Bennett was 17 and Arengto was 37. Several photographs of the two, including one where they’re both topless in bed, were also included in the documents.
The Italian actress, who was dating Bourdain at the time of his suicide, released a statement denying “any sexual relationship” with Bennett. “I am deeply shocked and hurt by having read news that is absolutely false,” Argento said. She went on to acknowledge that he was paid $380,000, but claimed it was Bourdain’s idea in an effort to help Bennett out of his financial troubles.
Argento became a major voice in the #MeToo movement after she accused Harvey Weinstein of raping her at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997. Since her own allegations have come to light, other #MeToo advocates have spoken up about how this doesn’t change anything for the movement – particularly founder Tarana Burke.
"I’ve said repeatedly that the #metooMVMT is for all of us, including these brave young men who are now coming forward," Burke tweeted. "Sexual violence is about power and privilege. That doesn’t change if the perpetrator is your favorite actress, activist or professor of any gender." Burke continued on to explain that "there is no model survivor,” and urged everyone to not let the movement be discredited in light of this news.
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).