Anthony Anderson Dodges Questions About Assault Investigation

Anthony Anderson is doing all he can to dodge questions about the assault allegations recently levied against him.

The Black-ish actor was spotted at an airport on Friday when a TMZ photographer attempted to get a response about the ongoing controversy that broke on Saturday.

Anderson, who was wearing a shirt that said “BLESSED AF [as f—],” seemed to be in good spirits when the videographer first approached him, responding kindly when asked how he was doing.

“Doing great, brother. How are you?” Anderson said.

However, the 47-year-old actor refused to give responses when asked if police had reached out to him about the investigation.

“No comment on that, brother,” Anderson said. “No comment on that, baby. Have a great day.”

The paparazzi then asked if Anderson knew the woman who accused him, but he remained silent. He continued walking then began to talk with airport employees.

The assault controversy stems from an unnamed woman filing a police report about the alleged assault earlier this year, as The Blast reports. The Los Angeles Police Department is currently investigating the claim.

Police have not released specific details of the assault, but The Blast’s sources say the alleged incident occurred at a business meeting more than one year ago.

The woman alleges she met the Barbershop actor at an event, which was put on by Anderson. At that time, they planned to meet again to discuss some business ideas. She alleges the actor assaulted her at that follow-up meeting.

It is unclear if the alleged assault is sexual in nature, but the source says the woman only felt comfortable coming forward after becoming emboldened by the #MeToo movement.

LAPD have confirmed that the case is currently open, and they are investigating the claims.

“We have a crime report listing him as a suspect in a crime,” the department said. “It is an open investigation.”

Anderson has strongly denied the accusation in a statement released to media via his representative. They also claimed Anderson had not been made aware of the investigation until the news broke.

“It’s unfortunate that anyone can file a police report whether it is true or false,” the rep said. “The authorities have not contacted Anthony or any of his representatives about this matter. Anthony unequivocally disputes the claim.”

This is the third major assault accusation Anderson has dealt with in his career, with the first two being sexual assault allegations.

In 2004, Anderson was accused of sexual assaulting a woman in Memphis, Tennessee, during the the production of Hustle & Flow. She alleged that Anderson and the film’s assistant director, Wayne Witherspoon, forced her to have sex with them several times before reporting one of the incidents to police to police.

However, Anderson, who denied the claim, was cleared of those charges after the judge found the claims to be “the most suspicious case” he had ever heard.

Also in 2004, the actor was sued for sexual assault by another unnamed woman. The woman said Anderson sexually assaulted her, grabbed her genital region, and made suggestive comments in a dressing room during the production of his sitcom All About the Andersons. It is unclear how the lawsuit was resolved, but Anderson denied the allegation.

No other details on the case are available at this time.

Photo Credit: ABC / Bob D’Amico