Hollywood Star Jamie Foxx Accused of Sexual Assault in Encounter From 2015: Civil Lawsuit

Jamie Foxx attends the 2018 Fox Network Upfront at Wollman Rink, Central Park in New York on May 14, 2018. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Hollywood actor Jamie Foxx, whose real name is Eric Marlon Bishop, has been accused in a civil suit of sexual assault and battery by a woman filing claims against the actor regarding an encounter in a New York rooftop lounge back in 2015.

According to court documents filed at the New York Supreme Court on Nov. 22, Mr. Foxx has been accused by a plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe, of “intentionally and without consent used force to offensively touch Plaintiff’s person.” It’s alleged the actor was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

The civil lawsuit (pdf) claims the incident began following a friend of the plaintiff asking Mr. Foxx for a photo, which allegedly led to Mr. Foxx taking Jane Doe to the back area of the venue where there was unwanted contact of a sexual nature. Jane Doe alleges that when she tried to escape, Mr. Foxx escalated his advances, which forced her friend to intervene.

As a result of the alleged incident, the woman claims she had to seek medical attention and continues to be plagued by “physical and emotional injuries, anxiety, distress, embarrassment, and economic harm.” She is seeking an unspecified amount in damages from Mr. Foxx.

The restaurant where the incident is alleged to have occurred has also been named in the lawsuit, along with its employees. The plaintiff is suing the parent company and related business entities as defendants for failing “to use reasonable care to prevent the acts described” and “negligent hiring, training, and supervision.”

In a statement to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for Mr. Foxx said the “alleged incident never happened.”

“In 2020, this individual filed a nearly identical lawsuit in Brooklyn. That case was dismissed shortly thereafter. The claims are no more viable today than they were then,” the spokesperson said.

“We are confident they will be dismissed again,” they continued. “And once they are, Mr. Foxx intends to pursue a claim for malicious prosecution against this person and her attorneys for re-filing this frivolous action.”

Jane Doe’s attorney Michael S. Lamonsoff, CEO and founder of The Law Offices of Michael S. Lamonsoff, told The Epoch Times that his client and firm will not be “intimidated by Jamie Foxx,” saying that the actor’s claims about a previous 2020 lawsuit are “baseless and untrue.”

“Although our client sought justice by coming to our firm, unfortunately, the Adult Survivor’s Act (ASA) had not passed yet as deliberations were ongoing in the State legislature,” Mr. Lamonsoff said.

“Thankfully, the ASA was passed, allowing our client to demand accountability for the abuse and mental anguish she had endured since the time of this heinous assault,” he added.

The Epoch Times has also contacted the lawyers acting on behalf of the restaurant’s parent company for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

Jamie Foxx is best known for his Oscar-winning portrayal of music legend Ray Charles in the film Ray, which also won him an Academy Award, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Golden Globe Award.

Appearing in dozens of films over the last 30 years, Mr. Foxx is also known for his roles in Collateral, Law Abiding Citizen, and Django Unchained, as well as multiple appearances in TV shows and music videos. Earlier this year, he was the victim of a medical episode that saw him hospitalized. What exactly happened to him has been kept tightly under wraps. His health has since improved, according to an update to his Instagram in July.

New Law Opened Floodgates for Lawsuits

Jane Doe’s lawsuit was filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which came into effect on Nov. 24, 2022, when Governor Kathy Hochul officially signed it into law, creating a year-long “lookback window” for survivors of sexual assault to file otherwise inadmissible claims.

Under the Act, adult survivors, aged 18 and over, of alleged sexual abuse can initiate legal action for civil claims, rather than criminal action, even if the statute of limitations on their allegations had previously expired. A statute of limitations is the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated.

The window to file lawsuits under New York’s Adult Survivors Act expires soon, on Nov. 24—exactly one year after the Act was enacted. Since the Act came into effect, more than 2,500 lawsuits have reportedly been filed against a wide variety of defendants, including employers, institutions such as hospitals, and the State of New York.

Many other celebrities and public figures have also been accused of sexual assault since the legislation came into effect, including Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was accused by singer and ex-partner Cassie, real name Casandra Ventura, of alleged abusive behavior. The lawsuit was settled on Nov. 18, only a day after it was filed, with both parties announcing they had come to a deal that was to “their mutual satisfaction.” No terms of the agreement were disclosed.

Guns N' Roses founder and frontman Axl Rose was accused on Nov. 22 of sexual assault after an alleged incident from over 30 years ago. According to the lawsuit, former model Sheila Kennedy is accusing Mr. Rose of alleged sexual assault and battery after an encounter in New York in 1989.

In a widely shared media statement, an attorney for the Guns N’ Roses frontman dismissed the accusations and said the “incident never happened.”

Alan Gutman, attorney for Mr. Rose, said in a statement given to the PA news agency that, “Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires.

“Though he doesn’t deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today.”

“Mr Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favour.”

Singer Axl Rose of 'Guns N' Roses' performs at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Dec. 21, 2011. Mark Davis/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump was also accused of sexual assault and defamation in a civil 2022 case brought against him by writer E. Jean Carroll. A nine-member jury handed Ms. Carroll a win in the suit in May 2023. However, her allegations of rape were not proven; instead, it was determined sexual abuse had occurred. The jury awarded Ms. Carroll $2 million in damages for sexual abuse and $3 million for defamation.

Lawyers for the former president, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, appealed the May decision, asking the judge to lower the jury award for damages to less than $1 million or order a new trial. The request was rejected and a federal judge in New York upheld the $5 million jury verdict. Former President Trump addressed the case in a July 22 social media post, calling it a “travesty of justice!” that his team was ”strongly appealing.”

Previously, New York tended the statute of limitations in 2019 for up to 20 years for adults filing civil lawsuits for a select number of sex crimes. That legislation only affected new cases and was not retroactive.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

This report was updated with responses from representatives of Mr. Foxx, Jane Doe, and Mr. Rose.