New York (AP) – Paul Schroeder, the screenwriter of “Taxi Driver” and the director of “American Gigolo,” is facing allegations of sexual assault from his former personal assistant, who claims he dismissed her after she agreed to proceed and declined a settlement aimed at keeping the allegations confidential.
The ex-assistant, referred to as Jane Doe in legal filings, initiated a lawsuit against the director and his production company on Thursday. She is requesting a court order to enforce the agreement after Schroeder stated he could not sign it. The specifics, including any financial compensation, remain undisclosed.
“This is a clear matter of enforcing a settlement,” Doe’s attorney, Gregory Chiarello, expressed in legal documents related to a breach of contract claim.
Schroeder’s counsel, Philip J. Kessler, described the lawsuit as “presumably opportunistic and frivolous,” asserting that many allegations presented were false or significantly misleading.
“I categorically deny that any kind of sexual relationship occurred between Mr. Schroeder and his former assistant, or that he attempted any sort of sexual advance toward her,” Kessler stated.
The lawsuit filed in a New York court claimed that a clandestine settlement between the 26-year-old Doe and the 78-year-old Schroeder was intended to silence the allegations.
Doe alleges that the filmmaker confined her in his hotel room, seized her arm, and kissed her without consent last year while he was promoting his new film, “Yeah, Canada.” at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
According to the lawsuit, two days later, Schroeder contacted Doe multiple times, sending her texts in distress, claiming he was “dying,” and unable to pack his belongings. When Doe went to assist him, she alleges that he opened the hotel room door, revealing himself in only an open bathrobe.
Doe asserts that Schroeder terminated her employment last September after he once more refused to proceed. Shortly after, the lawsuit indicates he sent her an email expressing concern that she might view him as “Harvey Weinstein.” Weinstein, a figure synonymous with the #MeToo movement, was convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022 and is awaiting a retrial in a New York sexual assault case set for April 15th.
The lawsuit claims that Schroeder agreed to a settlement on February 5th, but changed his decision after becoming ill and “searching for his soul.” Last month, through his attorney, he informed her that “we couldn’t proceed with the settlement.” Kessler contested this claim.
“The agreement they attempted to enforce against Mr. Schroeder required the signatures of both parties for it to become legally valid,” Kessler explained. “Mr. Schroeder chose not to sign it. It’s quite straightforward.”
The lawsuit reveals that Doe was employed by Schroeder from 2021 to 2024. Meanwhile, Kessler shared on social media how she cherished her position, describing Schroeder as an exceptional mentor and “my man.”
Schroeder achieved recognition through his partnership with director Martin Scorsese. It began with “Taxi Driver” in 1976, where Robert De Niro’s memorable line, “You’re Talking to Me,” is etched in history and ranks as the greatest film quote of all time according to the American Film Institute.
Scorsese’s 1980 film, Raging Bull, also featured De Niro, and Schroeder co-wrote the religious epic, The Last Temptation of Christ, in 1988, as well as the 1999 paramedic drama, Doving the Dead.
He also directed 23 films, notably “American Gigolo” in the 1980s, and received an Academy Award nomination for his screenplay for “First Reformed,” a 2017 thriller about a small-town minister he also directed.
Last year, Schroeder told The Associated Press that he made “Ah, Canada.” He confronted his own mortality rate following a series of health setbacks related to long covid.
In 2016, Schroeder revealed to the Hollywood Reporter that the police were called after he posted incendiary rants on Facebook regarding Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. He stated that Trump’s election was a “call for violence” and encouraged people to “seize ambitious weapons.”
In 2023, he critiqued the Oscars as a “wake-up” scramble influenced by diversity initiatives and an increase in international voters. Additionally, in 2021, following the #MeToo movement, he criticized what he termed “cancellation culture.” deadline, declaring it “highly contagious and akin to a deltavirus.”
“If a friend claims, ‘I’m being accused of things that aren’t true,’ you might catch that virus too, making you hesitant to support them,” Schroeder told the Entertainment News Outlet.
