A Los Angeles makeup artist has sued Gene Simmons for sexual assault, claiming the Kiss frontman made inappropriate physical contact with her before appearing on ESPN’s Sports Center last November.
Update: The musician denied the charge, and in a statement said he looked forward to defending himself in court.
"Mr. Simmons categorically denies Ms. Jackson’s outrageous allegations and her efforts to seek compensation from him for nonexistent injuries. Mr. Simmons intends to defend himself aggressively and looks forward to refuting Ms. Jackson’s charges in the courtroom," said a spokesman.
The filing of the suit came on the same day that Los Angeles prosecutors decided not to press criminal charges against the rock singer for a separate alleged assault that occurred in December.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by Victoria Jackson, claims the fully costumed Gene Klein (aka Simmons) approached her on Nov. 24, 2009, as she was working in the video shading room within ESPN’s Los Angeles studio.
According to the complaint, just prior to his Sports Center appearance, “Klein, wearing his Kiss costume and standing nearly seven feet tall, said to plaintiff, in a lecherous and inappropriate manner, ‘I like you.’”
The rock singer is accused of forcefully hugging Jackson against her will, harming her with his spiked chest plate … and making inappropriate contact with the plaintiff with his, er, tenderloin region.
Jackson is suing for unspecified damages. Last week Simmons preemptively filed a lawsuit for damages against Jackson in anticipation of her action.
Simmons was also being sued for another alleged 2009 incident, with a Los Angeles couple claiming the singer assaulted them when they pointed their videocamera at him at the Grove shopping mall. Los Angeles prosecutors opted not to follow through with charges on that matter Thursday.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
