During SAG-AFTRA’s drama with the Los Angeles Local Sexual Harassment Committee, one of the (now former) members of the committee has been accused of sexual harassment, abuse and assault. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the SAG-AFTRA National Board passed a resolution on Monday that condemned Los Angeles Local president Patricia Richardson for conduct that is described as being “detrimental” to the organization after she refused to remove an “alleged predator” from the Los Angeles Local Sexual Harassment Committee. The committee member did end up resigning on June 26. While they did not name the individual in their resolution, THR reported that the person in question is Corey Feldman.
Richardson reportedly refused to remove Feldman, who has been outspoken about being a victim of sexual abuse, from the committee after “numerous separate, detailed complaints from women who had been subject to or witness to sexual harassment, abuse and assault,” per the resolution. She also refused to remove him following a June 17 request from union president Gabrielle Carteris. Richardson reportedly responded to Carteris’ request via email, which read, “The charges sound serious but are unproven, baseless, possibly have been paid for.” She did not explain why she referred to the claims as “baseless” or why she wrote that they were “paid for.”
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Feldman subsequently released a statement to THR in which he claimed that these allegations are a part of a “covert operation to discredit, defame and ignore the claims I have been making for decades.” His statement read, “As a victim myself of sexual predators and an avid spokesperson on behalf of victims everywhere, I welcome an investigation. Beyond that, I don’t care to dignify the alleged claims of women who have been stalking me and harassing me endlessly for some time, for which I have contacted police.” Feldman added, “My team and I have been tracking their movements for a very long time, and we have recordings and emails, along with eyewitnesses who will attest to the fact that this is all part of a covert operation to discredit, defame and ignore the claims I have been making for decades which have still not been investigated by LAPD or the DA of Ca.”
Feldman continued to say that these allegations have already been investigated when the individuals made the claims two years ago. He said that he was cleared by both the LAPD and the DA. (It should be noted that THR was unable to verify this claim, and the LAPD did not respond to their request for comment). Feldman ended by issuing a message to SAG-AFTRA, which read: “I’m greatly disappointed and have lost complete faith in SAG leadership, that Gabrielle Carteris would abandon precious measures I was trying to implement for the future safety and protection of our children.”
