A former Penthouse magazine model is suing Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose, accusing him of sexually assaulting her in a New York City hotel in 1989.
Sheila Kennedy, 61, filed the lawsuit in the State Supreme Court in Manhattan under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which lets victims sue over attacks that occurred decades ago – the law expires after Thanksgiving on Thursday.
More than 2,500 lawsuits have been filed so far under the law, which have targeted individuals, employers or institutions such as hospitals, accusing them of not doing enough to stop abuse, but the vast majority have been filed against the state, New York City and local counties involving allegations of abuse at state prisons and local jails.
Attorney Alan S Gutman said in a statement on behalf of Rose: “Simply put, this incident never happened. Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires.
“Though he doesn’t deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today. Mr Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favour.”
It is the latest in a string of lawsuits filed under New York’s expiring Adult Survivors Act.
Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx was accused of sexual assault
Meanwhile Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in New York City on Wednesday that alleges he groped a woman at a rooftop bar and restaurant in Manhattan in August 2015.
The plaintiff, identified in the complaint only as Jane Doe, said the assault occurred in a secluded corner of the Catch NYC rooftop lounge after she and a friend had approached the film star and had their pictures taken with him.
Foxx’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.
The lawsuit said Foxx began groping the woman and putting his hands under her clothing against her will until her friend found the two of them, interrupting the encounter, and she left.
The actor is best known for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of singer Ray Charles in the 2004 film “Ray.” He also earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting role that same year in the film “Collateral.”
He is one of the latest high-profile celebrities accused of sexual wrongdoing in a recent series of lawsuits filed under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York state law allowing such lawsuits to be filed in court even if the statutes of limitations have run out.
The deadline for the special one-year window for such complaints under the law expires at the end of this month.
Music industry veteran Jimmy Iovine was likewise sued on Wednesday by an woman claiming he sexually abused her.
In the Iovine complaint filed in New York state court in Manhattan, a woman identified only as “Jane Doe” said she was sexually abused, forcibly touched and subject to sexual harassment and retaliation in August 2007.
A spokesperson for Iovine said they were “quite shocked and baffled” by the complaint.
“This inquiry is the first we’ve heard of this matter. No one has ever made a claim like this against Jimmy Iovine, nor have we been contacted or made aware of any complaint by anyone, including this unknown plaintiff prior to now,” the spokesperson said.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, declined further comment.
Iovine, a onetime recording engineer, co-founded Interscope Records, a music label associated with West Coast hip hop that is now part of Universal Music GroupUMG.AS. Iovine later partnered in 2006 with producer Dr. Dre to launch Beats Electronics, a company which Apple acquired in 2014 for $3 billion.
Others sued under the law include actors Russell Brand and Bill Cosby, former movie producer Harvey Weinstein, a former president, Donald Trump, and hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose case was settled after one day.
Axl Rose, the former lead singer of Guns N’ Roses, was sued under the law on Wednesday by Sheila Kennedy, an actress and former Penthouse Pet of the Year, over an alleged 1989 assault.
Also on Wednesday Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr was sued by two women whose sexual assault accusations against the star formed the basis of a criminal prosecution that ended with him pleading guilty in April 2022 but serving no jail time.
