Actress Sarah Scott has accused Runaways actor Kip Pardue of sexually assaulting her on set of an independent television pilot filmed this spring. In May, Scott told the Los Angeles Times, she and Pardue were filming a sex scene when he became aroused and put her hand on his erect penis. Afterwards, Scott says Pardue invited her into his dressing room, where he masturbated in front of her. “This isn’t a #MeToo thing,†she says he told her at the time. “I’m not your employer. It’s not like I can fire you.â€
Scott reported the conduct to the show’s producers and the Screen Actors Guild, contacted the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, and filed a police report with the Hermosa Beach Police Department, but has yet to see any progress with her case in the last five months. “In Hollywood terms, I am not a name, but I am a working actress,†she told the paper. “This is how I make my money, and help support my family. I’ve been out in Los Angeles pounding the pavement as a proud union member for 15 years. I was sexually violated while at work, and even though I had the courage to tell anyone and everyone who’d listen, as time went on it seemed like I had very little control in truly preventing this from happening to anyone else.â€
When contacted by reporters from the Times, Pardue apologized for putting her hand on his groin, but said that he never masturbated in front of her. “I clearly misread the situation during a sex scene on set and have apologized to Sarah,†Pardue said in a statement provided by his representative. “I never intended to offend her in any way and deeply regret my actions and have learned from my behavior.â€
Update October 30: SAG-AFTRA issued a response to the story. Without mentioning Scott, Pardue, or the Times report by name, the union posted a lengthy member advisory on Monday that details how union members are to handle these types of allegations. “Confidentiality protects members,†the advisory said, per Variety. “In certain cases, our members choose to initiate member-to-member disciplinary proceedings in response to an incident. Our mission is to support the member who is reaching out to us for help in responding to an incident, while also providing fairness and due process. In order to protect our members, we must protect their privacy and uphold confidentiality during the course of the proceedings. This means SAG-AFTRA not commenting publicly when asked about confidential investigative, disciplinary or trial processes.â€