Jamie Foxx sued for alleged sexual assault in New York restaurant in 2015

Sydney Bucksbaum
·3 min read
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The lawsuit claims the plaintiff needed medical treatment and suffered emotional distress as a result of "sexual assault, abuse, assault and battery."

Karwai Tang/Getty Images
Karwai Tang/Getty Images

Jamie Foxx is being accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a New York City restaurant in 2015.

A new lawsuit filed Wednesday details an encounter between the actor, now 55, and the unnamed plaintiff at Catch NYC & Roof in August 2015, beginning when the woman arrived to the rooftop restaurant at 11 p.m. The woman and her friend were allegedly seated one table away from Foxx and asked to take a photo with the actor, whom the plaintiff alleges in the suit appeared intoxicated and replied, "Sure, baby anything for you."

The suit goes on to claim that Foxx told the plaintiff she had a "supermodel body," and allegedly pulled her to a back area where he placed both hands on her waist and under her shirt to rub her breasts. She claims he then allegedly moved his hands into her pants, putting his fingers on and inside her vagina and anus.

The woman claims several people, including security guards, witnessed the alleged assault but walked away despite her trying to get away from Foxx, according to the suit. She also says Foxx only stopped when her friend came around the corner and saw what was happening.

The woman is now suing Foxx and the restaurant for compensatory and punitive damages, as she claims she had to seek medical treatment and suffered emotional distress as a result of the "sexual assault, abuse, assault and battery."

A spokesperson for Foxx denied the allegations in a statement issued to EW on Thursday. "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. 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."

In a statement shared with EW on Friday, the plaintiff's attorney, Michael S. Lamonsoff, said in part, "Our client and our firm will not be intimidated by Jamie Foxx’s age-old tactic of lies and threats against survivors of sexual assault. Foxx’s allegations that a 'frivolous' lawsuit was filed against him and dismissed in 2020 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. 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.”

Catch NYC & Roof did not immediately respond to EW's requests for comment.

The They Cloned Tyrone actor was hospitalized for a medical complication in April. He finally addressed his health issues in an emotional Instagram video months later in June, in which he also explained why he decided to stay out of the spotlight afterward. "I just didn't want you to see me like that," he wrote. "I want you to see me laughing, having a good time, partying, cracking a joke, doing a movie, a television show. I just didn't want you to see me with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if I was going to make it through."

He concluded, "If you see me out from now on and every once and a while I just burst into tears, it's because it's been tough, man. I've been sick, man. But now, I've got my legs under me, so you're gonna see me out."

This article has been updated to include a statement from Foxx and the plaintiff's attorney.

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