The New York state Adult Survivors Act (ASA) recently expired last week. However, before some of the most powerful men in the worlds of entertainment and politics found themselves cited in various sex abuse lawsuits. Jamie Foxx, Diddy, Steven Tyler, Russell Brand, Cuba Gooding Jr., Axl Rose, Bill Cosby, Terry Richardson and Jimmy Iovine are among the notable names accused of misconduct in cases that were allegedly decades-old.
The ASA allowed alleged sexual abuse survivors in the state a “one-year look back window” to file civil claims regardless of any standing statute of limitations. Foxx was sued for sexual assault, just one day ahead of the deadline. He’s denied the allegations.
Tyler is accused of forcibly kissing a minor in the 1970s. Brand — who faces a flurry of sexual assault allegations in the U.K. — was sued for allegedly assaulting a film extra on the New York City set of the 2011 romantic comedy Arthur.
Sean “Diddy” Combs, who settled an explosive federal lawsuit with ex-girlfriend Cassie after she accused him of rape, abuse and sex trafficking, was sued by two other women under the law.
Earlier this year, writer E. Jean Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages after she sued former President Donald Trump for battery and defamation under the ASA. Some of the famous aforementioned men may face a similar road ahead in court.
“Filing the lawsuit takes courage, but that’s just the beginning,” explains attorney Judie Saunders, a former New York City prosecutor who now leads the sex abuse and trafficking department at the law firm ASK. “A lot of times, you’ll see critics saying, ‘Well, you know, this is a money grab, the victim’s looking for payout.’ But no. What’s next is a long, arduous, very scary road.”
Cynthia Augello, a partner with the New York City-based Warren Law Group, breaks down the next legal steps.
“Once a lawsuit is filed and served, the defendant has approximately one month to respond to the complaint, barring extensions of time to respond. At that point, the defendant can choose to answer the complaint by filing an answer, or they can move to dismiss the complaint arguing that the plaintiff has not stated a cause of action under the law,” she explains.
In many cases, especially high-profile ones, defendants will attempt to have the case dismissed.
