A woman filed a civil suit against actor Warren Beatty for an alleged forced sexual relationship in 1973, when the plaintiff was 14 or 15 years old and Beatty was 35, according to Variety. Although the lawsuit does not specifically name Beatty, the lawsuit does accuse the Oscar-nominated star of Bonnie And Clyde, who played the role of Clyde. Kristina Charlotte Hirsch alleges that Beatty groomed and coerced her into a sexual relationship after meeting her on a movie set in California in 1973. The lawsuit states that Beatty “used his role, status and power as a well-known Hollywood star to gain access to a son-in-law, manipulating, exploiting and coercing sexual intercourse from her over the course of several months.” Hirsch claims he asked her questions about losing her virginity, gave her rides in his car and invited her to his hotel room. Additionally, Hirsch alleges that Beatty’s abuse made it difficult for her to “interact reasonably or meaningfully with others.” This includes “those in positions of authority over the Claimant, including supervisors, and in close, confidential and family relationships.” Her trauma led to problems in her personal life, particularly with trust and control, causing “significant emotional distress, guilt, anxiety, nervousness and fear”. In addition, the lawsuit alleges that Hirsch suffered “physical manifestations of emotional distress, including embarrassment, loss of self-esteem, shame, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.” This distress has forced her to “sustain loss of earnings” and significant expenses for mental health treatment. Although their interactions occurred nearly 50 years ago, a 2019 California law gave sexual assault survivors over 40 three years to file a lawsuit against their alleged perpetrators, even though the original statute of limitations had expired. Before the law was passed, victims had until the age of 26 to file a lawsuit, which would have allowed them to recover damages for an injury caused by an adult when the plaintiff was a minor. The “look-back window” started on 1 January 2020 and will close on 1 January 2023.
