The Stunt Man Accused By Eliza Dushku Of Molestation Denies Allegations

The stunt man who who Eliza Dushku publicly named as her molester has given a number of interviews denying the claims, adding that she’s now “ruined” his life.

Joel Kramer, who work with the actress on 1993 film True Lies, told BuzzFeed News that he’s “disgusted and hurt” by the allegations

“I’m literally twisted in knots. It’s just not true. If this were all true, don’t you think it would’ve come to light 24 years ago?”

In a heartbreaking Facebook post on Sunday, the Buffy actress described how Kramer sexually molested her in a hotel room when she was 12 years old, after grooming both her and her parents for months.

She acknowledged the confusion that may arise for her choosing to go public with these accusations now, 25 years later.

“Why speak out now? I was 12, he was 36. It is incomprehensible. Why didn’t an adult on the set find his predatory advances strange – that over-the-top special attention he gave me … I have struggled with how and when to disclose this, if ever. At the time, I shared what happened to me with my parents, two adult friends and one of my older brothers. No one seemed ready to confront this taboo subject then, nor was I.”

“There’s so much falsity and lies to defame by character in here,” Kramer told BuzzFeed News. “I’m disgusted and hurt [that she would say this] after we treated her so well … whatever happened, she’s just ruined my life.”

Speaking to Us Weekly, he said: “This is all vile lies. I never molested this young woman, ever. I am angry, I am just hurt. This is out of nowhere and she has put out what she is going to say, so it is a he said, she said. My career is done. She just ruined me.”

He went on to claim that he was told by a woman on set that Dushku was infatuated with him.

“She said, ‘Look, Eliza has a big crush on you, she is always asking me, ‘Oh, I bet Joel is dating all the women,’ ‘I bet Joel is screwing a lot of women,’ so I said then we have to be careful with this one. At that age they are impressionable and my job as a stunt coordinator was to get Eliza to trust us, because she has to do stunts, she has to be in harnesses. Stunt doubles did all the big stunts, Eliza did close-ups on camera, we wanted her trust and we treated her like family. I just don’t know what is going through her mind.”

And speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he called the allegations “atrocious lies”. “We took care of her like she was our kid. I don’t even remember being alone with her. ‘Luring’ her up to my hotel room, is just crazy.”

He said in multiple interviews that he’s now considering legal action.

James Cameron, who directed True Lies, called Dushku “very brave for speaking up”, and that it’s “heartbreaking that it happened to her” on his film … had I known about it, there would have been no mercy. I have three daughters. There’d really be no mercy now.”

He also added that it was worrying that directors are so unaware of issues like this on their own sets. “Directors are historically pretty oblivious to the interpersonal things on their set, being so focused on what they’re doing creatively. The fact that this was happening under our noses and we didn’t know about it” is troubling.

In her post, Dushku called out the Hollywood industry for failing to protect her.

“Hollywood has been very good to me in many ways. Nevertheless, Hollywood also failed to protect me. I like to think of myself as a tough Boston chick, in many ways I suppose not unlike Faith, Missy or Echo. Through the years, brave fans have regularly shared with me how some of my characters have given them the conviction to stand up to their abusers. Now it is you who give me strength and conviction. I hope that speaking out will help other victims and protect against future abuse.

“With every person that speaks out, every banner that drops down onto my iPhone screen disclosing similar stories/truths, my resolve strengthens. Sharing these words, finally calling my abuser out publicly by name, brings the start of a new calm.”

You can read her Facebook post in full below.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story, please call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or go to the website for support. You can also contact the Kids Helpline (ages 12 to 25) on 1800 55 1800.

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