Actress Asia Argento accuses Rob Cohen, director of "Fast and furious," of sexual assault

In an interview published Friday by Corriere della Sera, Asia Argento, Italian actress and figure of the #MeToo movement, accuses Rob Cohen of sexual abuse, the American director of the film "Fast and furious".

The 45-year-old actress and director was one of the first to speak out against sexual abuse in the film industry, helping to launch the #MeToo campaign.

She had thus declared in 2017 to have been raped by the American producer Harvey Weinstein in 1997, when she was 21 years old.

In her interview with the daily, she denounces a sexual assault on the part of Rob Cohen in 2002. “This is the first time that I speak about Cohen.

He abused me by making me drink GHB, he had a bottle of it, ”she said, referring to a drug used by rapists.

“At the time, I didn't really know what it was.

I woke up in the morning naked in her bed ”, she added, specifying that this attack had taken place when she was playing in the film xXx directed by Rob Cohen, alongside Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson.

"This accusation which dates from 2002 is disconcerting"

Asia Argento confirmed with our colleagues from AFP the content of this interview.

A spokesperson for Rob Cohen for his part denied the accusations on Friday.

"Mr. Cohen categorically denies the completely false accusation of sexual assault leveled against him by Asia Argento," according to a statement.

"When they worked together they had a great working relationship and Mr. Cohen considered her a friend, so this accusation that dates back to 2002 is baffling, especially when you consider what has been said about her in recent years." , he added.

Asia Argento was herself accused in 2018 of sexual assault by American actor Jimmy Bennett for acts in a hotel in California when he was 17 years old.

After initially denying any sexual relation with the young man, she then retracted, however denying the version of events given by Jimmy Bennett.

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#MeToo: who is Jimmy Bennet, the young man who accuses Asia Argento?

In response to press reports claiming that she had paid the young American actor $ 380,000, Asia Argento explained that her companion at the time, chef Anthony Bourdain, had given her money to "respond with" compassion to the demands for economic aid expressed by Jimmy Bennett.

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The new accusations of the Italian actress are contained in a book to be released on January 26 in Italy, "Anatomia di un cuore selvaggio" (Anatomy of a wild heart).