Jimmy Fallon Among Accused of Enabling Sexual Assault of Teenager During Saturday Night Live After-Party
Jimmy Fallon was named in a lawsuit against former Saturday Night Live star Horatio Sanz, accusing the television host of enabling a sexual assault of a teenager.
Variety reported that other names added in the lawsuit as defendants were Lorne Michaels and Tracy Morgan, arguing that they all enabled Sanz's alleged sexual assault.
The woman suing was only identified as Jane Doe. She alleges that Sanz groomed her when she was a teen fan of the Saturday Night Live show. The woman also accused Sanz of kissing her, groping her, and attempting to "digitally penetrate" her during a Saturday Night Live party in May 2002. She was 17 years old at the time.
The accuser and her teenage friends regularly attended SNL after-parties in 2000 and 2002, with the suit alleging that Fallon and Sanz would drink with her at these parties.
The accuser said that Fallon once asked her about her age, to which she responded by saying she was a junior in high school.
The complaint noted that she also met Michaels at one of the parties, who then gave her advice on pursuing a writing career.
Sexual Assault Lawsuit Involving Jimmy Fallon
In the complaint, she also noted that she was invited to an after-party in May 2002. During that time, she was 17 and claimed that there were sex workers allegedly hired by Morgan "and/or NBC" was present.
Sanz had placed his arm around the woman at one point, according to a The Week U.S. report.
She then noted that Fallon hugged the two of them and said, "aww, you guys," according to the complaint.
The woman then alleged that Sanz sexually assaulted her later that night in full view of the people who attended the party.
She then alleged that Fallon has knowledge of Sanz's online grooming efforts, including his in-person efforts.
The lawsuit stated that it was "well-known among the SNL crowd" that minor girls were "regularly invited to" the show's after-parties and served alcohol.
Meanwhile, Sanz has denied the accusations against him. His lawyer also claimed that the accused demanded $7.5 million in "exchange for her silence" before filing the lawsuit anonymously.
Allegations Against Saturday Night Live Stars
Entertainment Weekly noted that the accuser did not only feel sexually humiliated and degraded but "her lifelong career aspirations of working at SNL" had been put to a stop. She said that the entire "SNL cast watched" and "laughed."
Doe said that she suffered lifelong trauma due to Sanz's sexual abuse and grooming.
Meanwhile, Michaels was accused of creating a "predatory environment at SNL," wherein alcohol was provided to teenage girls by NBC.
Fallon and Morgan were allegedly "willing participants in this disturbing culture."
Doe's attorney, Susan Crumiller, said in a statement that Sanz and his enablers had pulled her client "into their celebrity world and made her feel like a cool kid" for drinking with famous grown-ups.
Crumiller concluded her statement by saying they look forward to holding NBC, Sanz, and anyone else involved accountable.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: 'SNL' alum Horatio Sanz accused of grooming, sexually assaulting underage fan in lawsuit - The News