Stunt man Joel Kramer has been dropped by his talent agency following allegations of child sex abuse made by Eliza Dushku.
His agency, Worldwide Production Agency, provided the following statement to Deadline:
“WPA has elected to part ways with Joel Kramer based on the allegations of misconduct now being reported. Such behaviour is unacceptable and entirely at odds with the the standards of conduct we demand of ourselves, and expect from our clients.”
According to IMDb, Kramer recently worked on major productions including Westworld, Blade Runner 2049, and Star Trek: Discovery.
In a heartbreaking Facebook post, Dushku accused Kramer of molesting her when she was 12-years-old and he was 36, when they worked together on the set of 1993’s True Lies.
“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. Fairly early on he nicknamed me “Jailbait” and brazenly called me by this name in a sick flirty way in front of others (at the time, I remember asking one of my older brothers what it meant). Sure, I’ve come to understand the terrible power dynamics that play into whistle-blowing by “subordinates” against persons in power, how difficult it can be for someone to speak up. But I was a child. Over the years I’ve really struggled as I’ve wondered how my life might have been different if someone, any one grown-up who witnessed his sick ways, had spoken up before he lured me to that hotel room.”
Kramer has vehemently denied the allegations to multiple publications, calling them outrageous lies and claiming that Dushku has “ruined my life”.
Meanwhile, True Lies director James Cameron has applauded Dushku’s bravery in speaking up, and Jamie Lee Curtis, who played Dushku’s mum in the film, has spoken of her devastation about the alleged incident.
In an op-ed for the Huffington Post, she said that Dushku confided in her about the abuse years ago, and wrote about the complexities of working with children
“I was shocked and saddened then and still am today,” she said. “Eliza’s story has now awakened us from our denial slumber to a new, horrific reality: the abuse of children … I was suspended under a helicopter by a wire, holding onto the hand of the man who is now being accused of abuse
“All of us must take some responsibility that the loose and relaxed camaraderie that we share with our young performers has carried with it a misguided assumption that they are adults in an adult world, capable of making adult choices.”
You can read her full op-ed here, and Dushku’s 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.
