“Taxi Driver” and “Mean Streets” screenwriter Paul Schrader has been accused by his former assistant of sexually harassing her and then reneging on an agreed-upon confidential settlement. She is now demanding a court force him to honor that agreement.
In a motion filed Thursday in the Supreme Court of New York in New York County, the 26-year-old former assistant, identified as an anonymous Jane Doe, accused 78=year-old Schrader of groping her and attempting to force her to kiss him while they were at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
She then says that three days later, he called her over to his hotel room where he exposed his penis to her.
Doe alleges Schrader acknowledged repeatedly that he behaved inappropriately, but continued to make advances on her. She then accuses Schrader or firing her in retaliation for refusing them. She then hired an attorney and eventually a Schrader offered a confidential settlement, with the stipulation it be paid out over the course of 7 months.
According to Doe, he then “repudiated the binding agreement,” informing her attorney a few weeks later that he would no longer pay it; Schrader subsequently refused to sign the agreement.
Schrader’s attorney told Variety their argument is that because he never signed the agreement, it is unenforceable. The attorney also said the complaint was “loaded with inaccuracies” and “materially misleading,” and asserted that during the three years Doe worked for Schrader, they attended multiple events and, “in none of those instances did the plaintiff indicate anything other than enthusiasm about appearing with Mr. Schrader.” The attorney did not explain how that would rebut the accusations of sexual harassment and breach of contract contained in the complaints.
Schrader’s attorney told Indiewire that Schrader and Doe kissed twice after a night of drinking but that he backed down after she said no.
The lawsuit seeks a summary judgment ordering Schrader to pay the agreed upon settlement, as well as court costs and disbursements, additional damages, attorneys’ fees, and pre-judgment and postjudgment interest.