The lawsuit, filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court by Kristina Hirsch, does not name Beatty, now 85, but does refer to him clearly. The defendant is listed as a “famous and famous actor and producer” who was nominated for an academy award for his role as Clyde in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. Hirsch, who now lives in Louisiana, claims she met Beatty on a movie set in 1973, where he gave her “undue attention,” commented on her looks and gave her his phone number. The suit alleges that Beatty called Hirsch several times, invited her to his hotel, took her on car rides, offered to help with her homework and made several comments about losing her virginity. According to the lawsuit, the defendant “used his position and status as an adult and Hollywood movie star to coerce sexual intercourse with the plaintiff on numerous occasions, including oral sex, simulated sex, and ultimately coerced sexual intercourse with the minor child”. The lawsuit alleges that Hirsch was “initially excited” by the defendant’s attentions and believed she was romantically involved with him. Hirsch filed the lawsuit through a 2019 California law that opened a three-year “lookback window” for child sexual abuse claims that would have been barred by the statute of limitations. The window closes on January 1st. Hirsch is seeking damages for psychological, mental and emotional distress and states that she has “trust and control issues” as well as difficulty interacting with people in positions of authority as a result of sexual abuse. “As a direct result of defendant Doe’s harassment, plaintiff has had issues with her personal life, such as trust and control issues,” the complaint states. “These feelings have caused the plaintiff significant emotional distress, guilt, anxiety, nervousness and fear.” Hirsch is represented by Michael Reck and Michael Finnegan of the law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates, which has handled sexual abuse cases involving the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America. Beatty has yet to make a statement and the Guardian has contacted his lawyers for comment.
