Paul Schrader is talking out about latest allegations of assault and harassment by a former assistant made public final week. The auteur beforehand denied the majority of the allegations on April 4, however did affirm that two allegedly consensual kisses occurred along with his then-26-year-old assistant between December 2023 and Might 2024. On the morning of April 7, Schrader despatched an electronic mail unpacking the allegations to varied members of the press and different business professionals and private pals, which IndieWire has obtained. (You may learn the total electronic mail under.)
The assistant filed a movement April 3 in New York State Supreme Courtroom underneath the moniker “Jane Doe,” alleging that Schrader was in breach of contract for violating the phrases of the settlement over the previous assault accusations.
“You could have learn that my former assistant filed a lawsuit making some allegations about me. I’m writing since you are vital to me and I need you to listen to from me instantly about this topic,” Schrader wrote. “Out of the blue, within the fall of final 12 months, a lawyer I had by no means heard of, representing my former assistant, despatched me a letter demanding that I pay my former assistant hundreds of thousands of {dollars} or she would go public with sensational, false, and deceptive accusations about our relationship and my conduct through a lawsuit. I understood that the mere assertion of such accusations could be damaging and hurtful.”
He continued, “Because of this, I practically dedicated to settling the claims by paying a small fraction of the quantity that had been initially demanded to keep away from the damage and hurt that the publicity surrounding a lawsuit with these sorts of false and deceptive accusations would trigger, to say nothing of the price of litigation. Upon reflection, I modified my thoughts, which I imagine I used to be legally entitled to do, and declined to signal the written settlement settlement the legal professionals had ready. I refused to bow to the coercion created by what I regard as unwarranted and opportunistic claims and resolved to defend myself.”
As acknowledged within the authorized declare, Doe and Schrader’s respective legal professionals reached a settlement in February 2025, with the cost to be issued in increments throughout seven months. Nonetheless, Doe’s lawyer Menaka Fernando alleged that Schrader’s lawyer instructed their group that Schrader had performed some “soul looking out” after being in poor health and opted to not go ahead with the cost to Doe for the quantity agreed upon.
Schrader now particulars how he believes Doe’s lawsuit was filed “for a fast cash seize.” He famous that Doe didn’t sue for sexual harassment, however as a substitute took authorized motion to “implement in opposition to me the settlement settlement I declined to signal — regardless that the settlement says clearly that it might not be efficient except each Plaintiff and I signed it.”
Schrader deemed the main points of Doe’s movement to be “gratuitous” in its inclusion of “sensational, false, and deceptive accusations” starting from alleging that Schrader “trapped” Doe in his Cannes lodge room whereas there for the premiere of his movie, “Oh, Canada,” in addition to carrying an open bathrobe along with his genitals uncovered. Doe labored as Schrader’s manufacturing assistant from Might 2021 to September 2024, when she was allegedly terminated (Schrader contests the main points of this, under). The movement claims Schrader “used his place of energy over Ms. Doe (who’s 52 years youthful than him) to drive her to work in a sexually hostile, intimidating, and humiliating surroundings on a every day, if not hourly, foundation.”
He additionally added that after consuming collectively at Cannes, he did kiss Doe however after she “indicated displeasure,” he “by no means tried to kiss her once more” and apologized.
“I’m not a thoughts reader, however I imagine that the accusations had been included as a tactic — to bully me into writing a test. If that’s their plan, it won’t succeed,” Schrader wrote. “The lawsuit labors to create a misunderstanding about my character and my interactions along with her. It additionally rewrites historical past, in a determined try to remodel our relationship of greater than three years, which consisted of Plaintiff’s diligent work and really prepared non-sexual companionship, into one thing unwelcome, coercive and odious to her. Nothing might be farther from the reality.”
He continued, “To be completely clear: I by no means had intercourse in any kind with Plaintiff. Nor did I ever try such a factor — interval. I by no means uncovered myself to Plaintiff — at any time. Our most bodily ‘intimate’ experiences collectively consisted of two kisses on the lips, which occurred months aside. We additionally typically kissed each other on the cheek in gestures of greeting and farewell. … Her lawsuit tries to color a really totally different image — one which isn’t true.”
Within the electronic mail, Schrader shared that Doe was not terminated, however quite demoted resulting from each his personal diminished skilled wants and her private household depart. Schrader famous that, after having accomplished his most up-to-date movie, he didn’t want for a full-time assistant. (Schrader beforehand posted on Fb in early 2024 to announce he was trying to make use of an assistant for one characteristic.) In response to Schrader, Doe had since relocated to Arizona to look after her ailing grandfather.
Somewhat than eliminating Doe’s place, Schrader diminished her pay by roughly 50 p.c “regardless that she was not doing a lot work for me,” in hopes that Doe would return to full-time work on his subsequent characteristic. “I additionally emphasised to her that if she was prepared to maneuver on in her profession, she ought to accomplish that and would have my unqualified encouragement,” Schrader wrote. “Inside a couple of months of this discount in pay, I heard for the primary time in regards to the grievances detailed within the demand letter, which have been partially revealed within the lawsuit papers.”
In distinction, Doe’s movement alleges Doe was fired for refusing Schrader’s advances.
Schrader concluded, “I perceive that within the present local weather a defendant accused of sexual harassment is usually presumed responsible within the court docket of public opinion with out the equity of due course of — except and till the defendant proves his or her innocence. However that presumption will not be all the time true. It isn’t true on this case. I’ve nothing to cover about my conduct — and that features my resolution to not yield to the strain of my former assistant’s menace to make her sensational allegations public, a menace that she and her legal professionals have now executed. If this case ever makes it to trial, I will probably be trustworthy with the decide and jury who I’m assured will see the reality.”
Learn the total electronic mail from Schrader under.
You could have learn that my former assistant filed a lawsuit making some allegations about me. I’m writing since you are vital to me and I need you to listen to from me instantly about this topic.
Out of the blue, within the fall of final 12 months, a lawyer I had by no means heard of, representing my former assistant, despatched me a letter demanding that I pay my former assistant hundreds of thousands of {dollars} or she would go public with sensational, false and deceptive accusations about our relationship and my conduct through a lawsuit. I understood that the mere assertion of such accusations could be damaging and hurtful. Because of this, I practically dedicated to settling the claims by paying a small fraction of the quantity that had been initially demanded to keep away from the damage and hurt that the publicity surrounding a lawsuit with these sorts of false and deceptive accusations would trigger, to say nothing of the price of litigation. Upon reflection, I modified my thoughts, which I imagine I used to be legally entitled to do, and declined to signal the written settlement settlement the legal professionals had ready. I refused to bow to the coercion created by what I regard as unwarranted and opportunistic claims and resolved to defend myself.
Plaintiff has now filed go well with, apparently hoping in opposition to hope for a fast cash seize. She hasn’t sued for sexual harassment; she has sued to implement in opposition to me the settlement settlement I declined to signal — regardless that the settlement says clearly that it might not be efficient except each Plaintiff and I signed it.
Though her lawsuit is for breach of the settlement settlement draft, it gratuitously consists of among the sensational, false, and deceptive accusations that had been contained in her demand letter. I’m not a thoughts reader, however I imagine that the accusations had been included as a tactic — to bully me into writing a test. If that’s their plan, it won’t succeed. The lawsuit labors to create a misunderstanding about my character and my interactions along with her. It additionally rewrites historical past, in a determined try to remodel our relationship of greater than three years, which consisted of Plaintiff’s diligent work and really prepared non-sexual companionship, into one thing unwelcome, coercive and odious to her. Nothing might be farther from the reality.
To be completely clear: I by no means had intercourse in any kind with Plaintiff. Nor did I ever try such a factor — interval. I by no means uncovered myself to Plaintiff — at any time. Our most bodily “intimate” experiences collectively consisted of two kisses on the lips, which occurred months aside. We additionally typically kissed each other on the cheek in gestures of greeting and farewell.
The primary kiss was in December 2023 in a New York bar after we had each been consuming. She continued working actively with me thereafter. She didn’t point out to me that she had been troubled by the kiss, a lot much less that she most popular to alter or finish our relationship. She even co-wrote a script with me after this kiss.
The second kiss passed off in Might 2024 at Cannes the place she had accompanied me for the premiere of my most up-to-date movie. As soon as once more, after we had been consuming collectively, I kissed her. This time she indicated displeasure. I by no means tried to kiss her once more and I additionally apologized. Even after Cannes, Plaintiff expressed emphatically her want to proceed to work, dine and journey with me. She additionally expressed her want to work with me on my subsequent movie, which was scheduled for manufacturing final fall. Lastly, she participated in an interview and voluntarily made private social media posts through which she selected to reward me.
Plaintiff was my Manufacturing Assistant from June 2021 till September 2024. Throughout our greater than three years of labor collectively, she eagerly accompanied me to quite a few work and social occasions as my visitor. These occasions included small, personal dinners with outstanding celebrities within the leisure business. We additionally dined collectively in eating places, drank collectively in bars, visited museums, and attended concert events, performs and movie festivals. She by no means expressed any reluctance to attend these occasions or to affix me in these one-on-one actions. If she was sad to take part in these actions, she didn’t present or point out it. Quite the opposite, she repeatedly expressed to me enthusiasm about her participation. Her lawsuit tries to color a really totally different image — one which isn’t true.
It’s greater than a little bit revealing that, all through her employment, Plaintiff selected on her personal to make flattering social media remarks about me, emphasizing her perception in my expertise and her enjoyment of my mentorship. I feel it’s a minimum of as revealing that various her social media posts have been deleted since she engaged counsel and asserted her claims. The deletions embrace her reference to me as “my man”.
In the summertime of 2024, having accomplished my most up-to-date movie, I had no want for a full-time assistant. Plaintiff was residing in Arizona then, caring for her ailing grandfather, who subsequently handed away. Somewhat than eliminating her place, I diminished her compensation by roughly 50% regardless that she was not doing a lot work for me. I hoped that she would return to full-time work within the not-too-distant future when my subsequent contemplated movie undertaking would create a necessity for an assistant. I additionally emphasised to her that if she was prepared to maneuver on in her profession, she ought to accomplish that and would have my unqualified encouragement. Inside a couple of months of this discount in pay, I heard for the primary time in regards to the grievances detailed within the demand letter, which have been partially revealed within the lawsuit papers.
I perceive that within the present local weather a defendant accused of sexual harassment is usually presumed responsible within the court docket of public opinion with out the equity of due course of — except and till the defendant proves his or her innocence. However that presumption will not be all the time true. It isn’t true on this case. I’ve nothing to cover about my conduct — and that features my resolution to not yield to the strain of my former assistant’s menace to make her sensational allegations public, a menace that she and her legal professionals have now executed. If this case ever makes it to trial, I will probably be trustworthy with the decide and jury who I’m assured will see the reality.