SAG-AFTRA Leaders Fight Over Corey Feldman Sexual Harassment Allegations
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The SAG-AFTRA national board has reprimanded Los Angeles president Patricia Richardson over her refusal to remove actor Corey Feldman, who has been accused of sexual assault, from guild’s Los Angeles local sexual harassment committee.
Feldman has issued a strong denial of the allegations. Richardson responded by blasting the national board and accused it of employing a “smear tactic.”
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The dust-up emerged Monday during the meeting of the national board and stemmed from Richardson’s refusal last month to remove Feldman from the Los Angeles local’s Sexual Harassment Committee after receiving “detailed complaints” from several women.
“If SAG-AFTRA does not respond appropriately to credible allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and assault such as those at issue, it will not retain the ability to act as a respected, proactive force combatting sexual harassment, abuse and assault in our Union and our industry,” the resolution said.
The resolution did not name Feldman. It said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris received “numerous” separate, detailed complaints from women who had been subject to or witness to sexual harassment, abuse and assault by a member of the SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local who was serving on the Los Angeles Local Sexual Harassment Committee; and that a number of these women had made formal complaints to law enforcement.
The resolution also said Richardson’s refusal to remove the “alleged perpetrator” was detrimental to the best interests of SAG-AFTRA’s members. It concluded “Be it further resolved that the Los Angeles Local President is ordered to cease and desist from all conduct that violates National Board policy or is otherwise detrimental to the best interests of SAG-AFTRA’s members.”
Feldman said in a statement Monday, “As a victim myself of sexual predators and an avid spokesperson on behalf of victims everywhere, I welcome an investigation. Beyond that, I don’t care to dignify the alleged claims of women who have been stalking me and harassing me endlessly for some time, for which I have contacted police.”
“My team and I have been tracking their movements for a very long time, and we have recordings and emails, along with eyewitnesses who will attest to the fact that this is all part of a covert operation to discredit, defame and ignore the claims I have been making for decades which have still not been investigated by LAPD or the DA of CA,” he added.
“The same girls made the same claims 2 years ago and it was investigated and I was cleared by both LAPD and the DA, and say I’m greatly disappointed and have lost complete faith in SAG leadership, that Gabrielle Carteris would abandon precious measures I was trying to implement for the future safety and protection of our children,” Feldman concluded.
Feldman produced the documentary “My Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys,” which centered on alleged sexual assaults against him and child actor Corey Haim in the 1980s. The film, directed by Brian Herzlinger, was released earlier this year. Haim died in 2010.
Richardson has been at odds with Carteris in recent years. Carteris defeated Richardson in the 2017 presidential election and Richardson has been leading the fight against ratification of the union’s film-television contract. Members have until Wednesday at 5 pm PDT to vote on the deal, on which Carteris served as head of the negotiating committee.
“We have 48 hours left to vote on the proposed 2020 TV/Theatrical Contract. One of the biggest problems that folks have is the glaring omission of basic safety in the area of intimacy scenes, sexual harassment and nudity,” Richardson said Monday. “What’s happening tonight is the oldest trick in the book. We’re not going to let a ludicrous and deceitful smear tactic, distract us from the real work that this union should be doing, protecting performers when they are at their most vulnerable.”
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