‘SNL’: Star Alums Named as Alleged Witnesses to Co-Star’s Sexual Misconduct

A new affidavit from the plaintiff in the case against NBC and Horatio Sanz describes how several Saturday Night Live cast members were present when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Sanz as a 17-year-old at an SNL afterparty in 2002. Jane Doe claimed the comedian allegedly groomed her from the age of 15 and sexually assaulted her at an SNL afterparty when she was 17 in a lawsuit filed against Sanz and NBC last summer. The complaint also quoted Sanz as claiming that if Doe wanted to “me too” him, she had “every right.”

Doe’s identity is anonymous because of her age at the time of her allegations. She filed a new affidavit on June 8, claiming that several cast members, including Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, and Seth Meyers, were not only present but within direct sight of her while Sanz groped her at an SNL afterparty, The Daily Beast reports. As a teenager, Doe claims she was allowed into NBC gatherings by NBC employees on at least 12 occasions.

In Doe’s newly submitted documents, Sanz is accused of assaulting Doe in full view of his colleagues during a May 2002 SNL afterparty. In her affidavit, Doe asserts that she and Sanz sat on a couch facing the entrance at the second afterparty of the night.”Both at these parties and afterwards, Sanz kissed me, groped my breasts and buttocks, and digitally penetrated my genitals,” Doe wrote. “He was also rubbing my vagina over [the] top of my clothes.”

Doe’s affidavit states that she and Ana Gasteyer made direct eye contact as Sanz groped her. “Gasteyer’s jaw dropped, her arms shook, and she became visibly startled.”Next to Gasteyer, I saw Fey and Dratch looking at us and laughing,” Doe continued.”When I looked at Fey and Dratch, who were excitedly giggling and talking with their hands over their mouths while looking directly at me and Sanz, they were startled and positioned themselves behind other people.” 

As alleged in the affidavit, Seth Meyers and Maya Rudolph were also present. They were standing “directly in front” of Sanz and Doe, “facing us, and Rudolph looked grossed out.” The affidavit states that when Doe reported her discomfort to Sanz, “He dismissed my shock and embarrassment, telling me to keep going with him despite everyone gawking at us.” I made repeated comments that I wanted to leave,” she wrote. “I was obviously uncomfortable with the situation.”

In its memorandum supporting its motion to dismiss Doe’s complaint submitted this April, NBC denied any responsibility for Sanz’s behavior after hours. When reached for comment about Doe’s newly filed response, an NBC spokesperson told The Daily Beast, “We believe the plaintiff’s claims against NBC are meritless and have filed a motion to dismiss.”Andrew Brettler, Sanz’s attorney, issued a rebuttal last year describing Doe’s accusations as “categorically false.” 

“However often she repeats her ludicrous allegations or tries to rope in other high-profile names to generate media attention, they will always be false,” Brettler wrote. In May, several former SNL staffers spoke to Insider about the show’s “incredibly sexist” culture.