Did Porn Star James Deen Try To Block Documentary On Rape Claims?
Variety reported on Monday that filmmaker Maria Demopoulos is filing a lawsuit against porn star James Deen for allegedly sabotaging the documentary film his company hired her to make in December 2015.
Demopoulos was hired before Deen found himself at the center of a flurry of rape allegations, starting with a tweet from his ex-girlfriend, Stoya, in December 2015. Although a rough cut of the film was ready by the end of 2015, both Demopoulos and Showtime agreed that she should include references to the rape allegations in the final cut.
After completing several interviews with Deen’s accusers, Demopoulos delivered a final version to the studio in July 2016 and says Deen signed off on the new footage.
This is where things get dicey.
According to the lawsuit, Demopoulos is accusing Deen of entering her office in October 2016 and persuading a production assistant to hand over a binder full of signed release forms, which Demopoulos needs in order to legally air the documentary. She also maintains that the move was captured on the security camera.
The suit also accuses Deen of telling Demopoulos that, because he owns the production company, he controls the release of the film.
Demopoulos is asking for at least $150 thousand.
Becky Scott is the editor of The Schmooze. Follow her on Twitter at @arr_scott
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
