Paul Schrader Accuses Former Assistant of a ‘Money Grab’

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As a devoted cinephile, I’m sharing my perspective on the recent allegations made against me by a former assistant in a lawsuit filed on April 3. These accusations of sexual assault and harassment, as detailed in the suit, are sensational, misleading, and untrue. The woman claims that I reneged on a settlement to address these issues that she alleged occurred during her employment with me from 2021 to 2024. However, my attorney has previously disputed these claims, and I felt compelled to offer some insights on the accuser’s possible motivations in an extensive email about the lawsuit sent out on April 7, titled “Friends and Family Letter.” The recipients of this letter, which includes over 50 individuals, appear to be a mix of film critics, writers, directors like Sofia Coppola and Alex Ross Perry, as well as the author of American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis. In the email, I expressed that I was reaching out because these people are significant in my life, and I wanted them to hear directly from me about this matter.

Schrader countered his ex-assistant’s claims by stating that her lawsuit is a misguided attempt to gain money quickly, rather than addressing sexual assault allegations. He asserted that the lawsuit distorts the truth about their relationship, which was professional and non-sexual for over three years. According to Schrader, the lawsuit seeks to portray him in a negative light and alter the facts of their interactions. He maintains that he never engaged in any sexual activity with his assistant, nor did he attempt to do so at any point. However, his assistant has accused him of forcefully kissing her in his hotel room and trying to prevent her from leaving. Schrader also denies exposing himself to her, which was another claim made by his assistant. He admitted to kissing her on two separate occasions, but he stopped after she expressed discomfort the second time and apologized, promising not to do it again. In the lawsuit, his assistant referenced emails where Schrader wrote about her being uncomfortable with his affections and fearful of his physical advances.

In a subsequent part of the letter, Schrader asserts that he was lauded publicly by his previous assistant, an incident which seemingly transpired following his decision to scale down her workload and compensation after wrapping up the film ‘Oh, Canada’ last summer. He concluded by expressing that there is nothing covert about his behavior.

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2025-04-08 00:53