'Prison Break' Actor Accused of Sexual Assault

A longtime Hollywood costume designer is alleging that she was sexually assaulted by Prison Break [...]

A longtime Hollywood costume designer is alleging that she was sexually assaulted by Prison Break actor Robert Knepper while on set for a film in 1991.

Susan Bertam opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about the assault after she said the tape of President Donald Trump discusses grabbing women nonconsensually surfacing in October 2016 made her face her own experiences with powerful men.

"I kind of buried it for a long time until Trump came out with his 'Grab 'em by the pussy' thing. When that happened, I started reeling," she said. "People think that's a joke, but that really happened to me."

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Bertram says she was 31 at the time of her alleged attack, a newcomer to the industry when she was hired to work on Gas Food Lodging, which featured Knepper.

After a day of shooting, Bertram says she stopped by the actor's trailer to drop off some clothes. When she leaned over to reach for a rack on a far wall, she said Knepper "jumped up," reached under her dress and grabbed her crotch "as hard as he could."

The actor then shoved her against a wall, she said, and told her "I'm going to f--k your brains out." Bertram says she broke free and pushed him off while shouting "I'm working, I'm working!"

"I flew out of that trailer as fast as I could. I just kind of fell out the door, and landed in the dirt on my knees," she said.

She then ran to a bathroom and looked under her dress to see the crotch of her tights had been ripped and she was bleeding after Knepper gouged a part of her genitals, she said.

"I just sat there and cried for a while. My dress was torn, I was dirty," she recalled, "I just sat there and got myself together and went back to the wardrobe trailer."

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When she exited, she told her assistant, Dominique DuBois what happened. DuBois corroborated Bertram's account to the magazine.

"I remember Susan came in and she was visibly shaking," DuBois said, "She told me [Robert Knepper] had forced himself on her. She was very upset, very shaken. I do remember that."

Bertram said she didn't feel empowered to do anything due to her youth and her low position on the Hollywood totem pole.

"We didn't have any protection back then," Bertram said, "I was young, it was one of my first jobs in the industry, I was a long way from home."

"Even if I had said something, what were they going to do? Fire their lead actor?" she continued. "It would have been a f--king joke. That would have been true until really recently. A lot has changed in the last few weeks."

After The Hollywood Reporter piece came out, Knepper released a statement addressing the allegation:

"Over the past few weeks, my wife and I have discussed the pain women have experienced and the bravery they have shown in coming forward," he said. "I am shocked and devastated to be falsely accused of violence against a woman. That's just not who I am. To those who have reached out today with words of support and encouragement, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Photo credit: Facebook / Prison Break

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