Argento despatched textual content messages to a pal admitting that she had intercourse with Jimmie Bennett, TMZ reported Wednesday.
In a screenshot of one of many textual content messages obtained by the leisure information web site, Argento allegedly writes, “I had intercourse with him it felt bizarre. I didn’t know he was a minor till the shakedown letter.”
The New York Instances reported Sunday that, following the beginnings of the #MeToo motion, Argento paid a $380,000 settlement to Bennett to not disclose allegations that the 2 had intercourse in 2013, when she was 37 and he was 17.
Bennett had performed Argento’s son within the 2004 movie “The Coronary heart Is Deceitful Above All Issues.”
The Instances reported it was despatched encrypted details about the dealings between legal professionals for Argento and Bennett, together with a selfie of the 2 mendacity in mattress from 2013. As a part of the settlement, Bennett, now 22, agreed to provide Argento the photograph and its copyright, the paper reported.
Within the authorized paperwork, Bennett claims that on Might 9, 2013, Argento served him an alcoholic drink at a room within the Marina Del Rey Ritz-Carlton and subsequently carried out oral intercourse on him. The 2 then had intercourse earlier than she requested him to take photographs of them. In response to the Instances, the assembly was a reunion for the actors.
The 42-year-old Argento launched an announcement Tuesday strongly denying that she had intercourse with Bennett.
“I’ve by no means had any sexual relationship with Bennett,” Argento stated Tuesday.
Argento additionally went within the assertion to say that it was the thought of her late boyfriend, journey host Anthony Bourdain, to pay Bennett the hush cash. Bourdain dedicated suicide in June.
“I used to be linked to him (Bennett) throughout a number of years by friendship solely, which ended when, subsequently, to my publicity within the Weinstein case, Bennett — who was then present process extreme financial issues and who had beforehand undertaken authorized actions towards his circle of relatives requesting tens of millions in damages — unexpectedly made an exorbitant request of cash from me,” Argento wrote. “Bennett knew my boyfriend, Anthony Bourdain, was a person of nice perceived wealth and had his personal popularity as a beloved public determine to guard.”
“Antony (sic) insisted the matter be dealt with privately and this was additionally what Bennett needed. Anthony was afraid of the potential adverse publicity that such particular person, whom he thought of harmful, may have introduced upon us. We determined to deal compassionately with Bennett’s demand for assist and provides it to him. Anthony personally undertook to assist Bennett economically, upon the situation that we might now not undergo any additional intrusions in our life.”
Argento was one of many first girls to publicly accuse Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and rape final 12 months. The settlement is reported to have occurred simply months after the Weinstein accusations have been made public.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division stated that although it has no report of the alleged incident, it’s reaching out to Bennett and his attorneys for an interview.
Bennett has declined to touch upon the reviews.