While working on "I'm Still Here," a documentary about Joaquin Phoenix's fledgling rap career, cinematographer Magdalena Gorka and producer Amanda White were sexually harassed by Casey Affleck, who directed the film. When they spurned his advances, Affleck became hostile and refused to pay them for their work.
So state two separate lawsuits, filed recently in Los Angeles Superior Court.
In her $2.25 million suit, filed on Friday, Gorka claims Affleck climbed into bed with her and groped her while she was sleeping. According to legal papers, the crew stayed at Phoenix's house in December, during filming of the documentary, and Phoenix gave up his bedroom to Gorka. "During the middle of the night," the papers continue, the producer "awoke to find Affleck lying in the bed next to her," half-naked, groping her, and with alcohol on his breath. After she rejected his advances, Gorka claims, she was "berated and verbally attacked" by Affleck, and then forced to leave the project without proper pay or production credit.
This is the second such lawsuit filed against Affleck, 34, in just over one week. Last week, producer Amanda White filed a $2 million suit alleging sexual harassment by Affleck during the same shooting. In her suit, White claims that Affleck referred to women as "cows"; asked White, after learning her age, "Isn't it about time you get pregnant?"; forced White to see another crew member's penis and "inappropriately suggested" that they have a baby together; discussed his own sexual exploits; tried to get White to stay in his hotel room during filming in Costa Rica; and locked himself and Phoenix inside her bedroom while they had sex with other women.
White also discusses one instance in Vegas during which Affleck arranged for a shoot with prostitutes and male transvestites in a hotel suite. The producer claimed that the shoot had nothing to do with the Phoenix documentary, and Affleck had "orchestrated the shoot in the hotel for his personal gratification."
Like Gorka, White alleges that, after she refused his advances, Affleck became verbally abusive and refused to pay her for her completed work.
Through his attorney, Affleck vehemently denied White's charges and vowed to countersue the producer. However, he instead filed court papers requesting private arbitration. Affleck has yet to publicly respond to the new suit by Gorka.
I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix is slated for release this fall.
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