Hollywood Stunt Coordinator Joel Kramer Accused By Actress Eliza Dushku Of Alleged Child Molestation

Actress Eliza Dushku shared her story of alleged Hollywood sexual abuse on Facebook yesterday in a long-worded accusation against stunt coordinator Joel Kramer. According to her post, the 37-year-old allegedly became the victim of sexual assault 25 years ago while filming True Lies, which also starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Dushku indicated that Kramer “methodically built my and my parents’ trust, for months grooming me” before he allegedly took her to his hotel room under the guise of letting her “swim at the stunt crew’s hotel pool.” The stunt coordinator allegedly put on the movie Coneheads before removing his clothing and lying down on top of the 12-year-old. Dushku said Kramer allegedly “rubbed all over” her, told her they needed to “be careful” and proceeded to hold her on top of his lap during the ensuing taxi ride home.

Dushku Alleges Probable On-Set Danger from Speaking Out

The actress claims Kramer called her “jailbait” on set several times in front of others before the incident. After the alleged assault, Dushku shared her story with a few people, including her parents. She stated that someone spoke to Kramer on her behalf about his alleged illegal actions.

Kramer wasn’t fired from the shoot, nor were charges pressed. The same day someone approached him about the molestation claims, though, Dushku was hurt on set.

“By no small coincidence, I was injured from a stunt-gone-wrong on the Harrier jet. With broken ribs, I spent the evening in the hospital. Joel Kramer was responsible for my safety on a film that at the time broke new ground for action films. On a daily basis, he rigged wires and harnesses on my 12-year-old body. My life was literally in his hands… he was supposed to be my protector, [but] he was my abuser.”

Joel Kramer Denies the Allegations

According to The Wrap, Kramer is “shocked” by Dushku’s allegations, which he has called “absolute lies.” Kramer claimed that he and several other stunt workers took Dushku swimming and out to eat that night, but he denied taking her into his hotel room and said, “I never sexually assaulted her.”

Dushku Addressed the ‘Why Speak Out Now’ Question

As accusations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior in Hollywood continue to increase, some have taken to blasting victims for waiting so long to speak. Dushku addressed this topic head-on in her post.

“Why speak out now? I was 12, he was 36. It’s incomprehensible. Why didn’t an adult on the set find his predatory advances strange – that over-the-top special attention he gave me… Years ago, I had heard second hand that Joel Kramer was “found out” and forced to leave the business. I learned recently that in fact he still works at the top of the industry. And a few weeks ago, I found an Internet photo of Joel Kramer hugging a young girl. That image has haunted me near nonstop since. I can no longer hide what happened.”

California law states child molestation cases must be filed within 10 years of the accuser’s 18th birthday, so legal charges of any type are extremely unlikely. However, the Bill Cosby case did lead to the state’s rape statute of limitations being dropped, so Eliza Dushku coming forward about Joel Kramer may eventually help others who were molested seek legal justice decades later.