Asia Argento Accuses ‘Fast and Furious’ Director Rob Cohen of Sexually Assaulting Her During Filming of ‘xXx’

Asia Argento has accused Fast and Furious director Rob Cohen of sexually assaulting her during the filming of xXx. According to PEOPLE, Argento’s allegations come from her new autobiography, Anatomy of a Wild Heart, which is set to be released in Italy this month. The actress has also since addressed the allegations in press interviews for the book, telling the newspaper Il Corriere della Sera that Cohen drugged and raped her.

“He abused me, making me drink GHB, he had a bottle of it,” Argento is quoted as saying. “At the time, I really didn’t know what it was. I woke up in the morning naked in his bed.” While speaking on the talk show Verissimo, she added, “I discovered later, speaking with a friend who opened my eyes about that substance [GHB].” A spokesperson for Cohen has since issued a statement, explaining that Cohen refutes the claims. “Mr. Cohen categorically denies Asia Argento’s accusation of assault against him as absolutely false,” the spokesperson said. “When they worked together, they had an excellent working relationship and Mr. Cohen considered her a friend, so this claim dating back to 2002 is bewildering, especially given what has been reported about her in recent years.”

This is not the first time Cohen has been accused of sexual assault. In 2019, Huffington Post reported that an anonymous woman alleged that Cohen had assaulted her years prior, after a business meeting the two attended. Cohen denied that he’d done anything wrong. The same year, Cohen’s own daughter accused him of sexual assault, claiming that it took place when she was a child. Cohen claimed these allegations were “categorically untrue.”

Argento had been a notable figure in the MeToo movement, as she was one of the first women to come forward with sexual assault accusations against disgraced Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein. However, in 2018, she too faced accusations, after it was revealed that she’d settled a lawsuit with actor Jimmy Bennett over allegations to two had had an inappropriate sexual relationship while Bennett was still a minor. Argento denied the allegations, saying that she was “deeply shocked” by the “absolutely false” reports and that she “never had any sexual relationship with Bennett.”

Argento’s denial was mired in controversy, as photos and text messages surfaced, purportedly confirming that she did in fact have a relationship with Bennett at some point. Bennett eventually released a public statement regarding the claims, but he did not name Argento directly. The actor simply spoke about “the person who wronged me,” without identifying anyone in specific.