Today's Harassment Claims

[AuthorTony]

I'm picturing myself at 17 in this scenario and having trouble coming up with the initial problem of having her sexually abuse me.

Yep

[tifosi77]

Wonder if any of that played into Bourdain's situation...

My worry has always been that he had something(s) like this in his own background, and pairing up with Argento brought that to the fore. He's been pretty forthcoming in the past about the excesses of his industry; he says one of the motivating factors in becoming a cook was going behind the kitchen of the restaurant where he was a dishwasher and seeing one of the line cooks getting a blowie from one of the waitstaff.

[eddy]

But for Mr. Bennett, who as a child actor charmed Harrison Ford and Bruce Willis and earned the nickname Jimmy Two-Takes because he rarely flubbed his lines, the 2013 hotel-room encounter was a betrayal that precipitated a spiral of emotional problems, according to the documents.

The fallout from “a sexual battery” was so traumatic that it hindered Mr. Bennett’s work and income and threatened his mental health, according to a notice of intent to sue that his lawyer sent in November to Richard Hofstetter, Mr. Bourdain’s longtime lawyer, who was also representing Ms. Argento at the time.

Mr. Bennett’s notice of intent asked for $3.5 million in damages for the intentional infliction of emotional distress, lost wages, assault and battery. Mr. Bennett made more than $2.7 million in the five years before the 2013 meeting with Ms. Argento, but his income has since dropped to an average of $60,000 a year, which he attributes to the trauma that followed the sexual encounter with Ms. Argento, his lawyer wrote.

[tifosi77]

It's easy to make the hot-for-teacher jokes here - Argento is definitely my cup of tea, and I can't imagine 17-year old me would have been much bummed out to find myself in this predicament. It's the payoff that I'm grossed out by, and the fact that only happened in the last several months.

[eddy]

It's easy to make the hot-for-teacher jokes here - Argento is definitely my cup of tea, and I can't imagine 17-year old me would have been much bummed out to find myself in this predicament. It's the payoff that I'm grossed out by, and the fact that only happened in the last several months.

The article is pretty weird, it makes it sound like he was looking for a payday because of financial hardships, but also they seemed to be talking and maybe friendly up through a month ago

[shafnutz05]

I'm picturing myself at 17 in this scenario and having trouble coming up with the initial problem of having her sexually abuse me.

Yep

I mean, I know it's easy to joke about this stuff (God knows I have). But this is really the kind of attitude which marginalizes male victims of sexual predators. There are a myriad of reasons why he could have not wanted to be seduced by Argento.

I always imagine it this way--someone that is insanely attractive starts heavily coming onto you, pressuring you to get with her, etc. Maybe she is in a position of power. But you are in a relationship with someone already and your moral code tells you that you really do not want to violate that trust, even with someone that literally EVERYBODY wants to bang. Same deal with male students getting "lucky" with hot teachers...it can really mess them up psychologically for a long time.

In the case of Argento, it is insanely hypocritical. And this tweet by Rose McGowan is infuriating:

None of us know the truth of the situation and I’m sure more will be revealed. Be gentle.

This is the same woman that has not hesitated to absolutely crucify men in the court of public opinion upon even the most questionable accusations. But suddenly when the shoe is on the other foot, she is suddenly the voice of reason, calling for patience and for the facts to come out. **** you, Rose.

[AuthorTony]

I'd say his income dropped because there are many, many fewer competent teen actors, and thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of very good to great 18-23 year old actors.

[tifosi77]

Yeah, I'm not sure where I come down on this one just yet.

The Wikipedia page for the actor has a typo that claims the assault happened when he was 7 years old. I just made the edit to correct it to 17.

[shafnutz05]

Here is a picture of Argento and Bennett (when he was 8 years old, I believe) on the set of The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things. I wonder how long she was grooming him for?

[Lemon Berry Lobster]

...maybe she pegged him...

[AuthorTony]

I mean, I know it's easy to joke about this stuff (God knows I have). But this is really the kind of attitude which marginalizes male victims of sexual predators. There are a myriad of reasons why he could have not wanted to be seduced by Argento.

I know what you mean and I am joking about it. But if there was a 17 y/o female saying she was traumatized by having consensual sex with Justin Bieber or Chris Hemsworth or Jason Momoa, I'd be like, "Yeah, sure" too.

[shafnutz05]

This is actually a good read on the Argento stuff:

https://wearyourvoicemag.com/rape-cultu ... buse-metoo

To add on to the already despicable events which were documented by Bennett and his lawyers, it is difficult to ignore the plot of the film that Argento and Bennett worked on together when he was a child. Based on a book by JT LeToy, the film depicts the relationship between a sex worker (played by Argento) struggling with addiction and raising her son (Bennett), whom she dresses as a girl to lure men, and who is eventually sexually assaulted himself. To be a part of a film which portrays the rape of a child, and then to allegedly assault the person portraying that child years later before they can even consent, adds layers to the grotesque abuse.

Argento, who has a clear understanding of what sexual violence looks like, what it feels like and the effects that it has on the victims of abuse, chose to use her power to do the same thing Weinstein did to her. Argento is an adult who formed and maintained a relationship with a child whom she later (allegedly) violated when he was a teenager.

[eddy]

Here is a picture of Argento and Bennett (when he was 8 years old, I believe) on the set of The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things. I wonder how long she was grooming him for?

Getting weirder

[AuthorTony]

Here is a picture of Argento and Bennett (when he was 8 years old, I believe) on the set of The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things. I wonder how long she was grooming him for?

Well that makes it creepy. I thought he was 17 when they worked on that film. So yeah, I take back my "Yep."

[eddy]

This is actually a good read on the Argento stuff:

https://wearyourvoicemag.com/rape-cultu ... buse-metoo

To add on to the already despicable events which were documented by Bennett and his lawyers, it is difficult to ignore the plot of the film that Argento and Bennett worked on together when he was a child. Based on a book by JT LeToy, the film depicts the relationship between a sex worker (played by Argento) struggling with addiction and raising her son (Bennett), whom she dresses as a girl to lure men, and who is eventually sexually assaulted himself. To be a part of a film which portrays the rape of a child, and then to allegedly assault the person portraying that child years later before they can even consent, adds layers to the grotesque abuse.

Argento, who has a clear understanding of what sexual violence looks like, what it feels like and the effects that it has on the victims of abuse, chose to use her power to do the same thing Weinstein did to her. Argento is an adult who formed and maintained a relationship with a child whom she later (allegedly) violated when he was a teenager.

and weirder

[tifosi77]

Here is a picture of Argento and Bennett (when he was 8 years old, I believe) on the set of The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things. I wonder how long she was grooming him for?

Well that makes it creepy. I thought he was 17 when they worked on that film. So yeah, I take back my "Yep."

He was 7 or 8 when they made that movie together, and the alleged assault happened around ten years later in 2013. The payout happened some time after October 2017.

This has a very scorched earth kind of feel to it. It can all be true and have been a real thing that happened, and also be a character assassination campaign. She's not super loaded rich, so you have to wonder where she got her hands on nearly $400,000 in cash.

[eddy]

[AuthorTony]

She's not super loaded rich, so you have to wonder where she got her hands on nearly $400,000 in cash.

Maybe Dario gave it to her.

[shafnutz05]

She's not super loaded rich, so you have to wonder where she got her hands on nearly $400,000 in cash.

Her father was a fairly successful and influential director in Italy, and according to dubious sources on the Internet his net worth is $16 million. So there's one possibility.

[AuthorTony]

FWIW, here's a pic from when I met Asia back in 2012. I missed focus, but whatev.

[Freddy Rumsen]

His name will be officially off the school by the first of September.

[dodint]

Looks like a polished Sandra Bernhard.

[CBear3]

I'm going with:
They stayed in touch after the movie.
They willingly hooked up ten years later (2013), but he wasn't of legal age (she may or may not have known).
He ran out of money, and she had just helped spark #MeToo (2017)
He said pay up or else I'll go public that you diddled a minor, which would actually be a crime and derail her #MeToo efforts.

The Sexual Harassment/Abuse claims are just a red herring.

[dodint]

Maybe.

Except in all the other cases where the genders are reversed 17 was an absolute hard line for consent and therefore in light of that standard her actions must be judged as sexual assault.

[NAN]

I'm going with:
They stayed in touch after the movie.
They willingly hooked up ten years later (2013), but he wasn't of legal age (she may or may not have known).
He ran out of money, and she had just helped spark #MeToo (2017)
He said pay up or else I'll go public that you diddled a minor, which would actually be a crime and derail her #MeToo efforts.

The Sexual Harassment/Abuse claims are just a red herring.

My thoughts as well.