Oh, boy. Paul Schrader is not immune to controversy, but this might just be his downfall. On paper, the accusations sound severe — add in the disclosed settlement, and the optics look outright bad for the filmmaker.
Schrader’s former assistant is accusing him of sexual assault. The story comes out as Schrader had reneged on a settlement with his former assistant over claims he’d sexually assaulted and harassed her for years, according to civil court documents.
Schrader allegedly broke a confidential settlement he agreed to in February with “Jane Doe,” his 26-year-old former assistant, in a motion filed last night in New York State Supreme Court. The alleged behavior on the part of Schrader occurred from 2021 to 2024.
In the motion, we read that Schrader “brutally attacked” Ms. Doe, exposed his genitals to her, and engaged in countless other acts of sexual harassment. In the process, the motion continued, “she has suffered ... nightmares, extreme anxiety, and trauma, and has withdrawn almost completely from her former life.”
Last month, Schrader’s attorney spoke to Doe’s legal team, saying that his client had been ill, had done some “soul searching” during that time, and decided he didn’t want to pay the full settlement to which he had previously agreed with her.
In response, Doe filed the motion in an attempt to demand Schrader comply with the previously signed agreement. The settlement amount is currently confidential.
Schrader was supposed to start production on his next film, “Non-Compos Mentis,” earlier this year, but the project still seems to be in the stages of development.
