Raquel Lee Bolleau, a former child star with roles on multiple Disney projects, has filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Company, alleging the studio failed to protect her from a male employee who repeatedly sexually assaulted her when she was 14.
The employee, identified in the complaint only as John Doe, was a middle-aged man who allegedly supplied Bolleau with alcohol and pressured her to drink, according to the civil lawsuit obtained by People.
The alleged abuse occurred during production of the 2001 Disney Channel movie The Poof Point, according to the complaint filed Friday, Aug. 21, in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
“You’re old enough. You can handle it,” Doe allegedly told her.
Bolleau, then known as Raquel Lee, claims the alleged abuse was visible to adults working on the production, but no one stepped in to protect her.
“Even though Mr. Doe’s sexual harassment was in plain view of the cast and crew and could be heard by the sound technicians managing the cast’s microphones, no one at Disney intervened,” the complaint says, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The lawsuit describes the set as “not safe for children” and accuses Disney of violating child labor laws by failing to provide adequate supervision.
According to the complaint, the film’s director and a Disney dialogue coach urged Bolleau to “build a relationship and spend time with Mr. Doe.”
While the movie was filming on location in Utah, Doe allegedly invited Bolleau and her guardian to his hotel room and gave them with alcohol.
Bolleau claims she became intoxicated and left the room before Doe invited her back and sexually assaulted her.
The lawsuit additionally alleges the employee inappropriately touched Bolleau and made sexually explicit comments about her body on set.
The complaint goes on to allege Doe sexually assaulted Bolleau on a flight back to Los Angeles after filming ended. Bolleau says the employee demanded she sit beside him in first class while her guardian was seated in economy.
Bolleau, now 39, says her mental health deteriorated from the alleged abuse.
Instead of trying to figure out what was wrong, the lawsuit says Disney executives allegedly blamed Bolleau and her mother for her declining performance.
The lawsuit accuses Disney of repeatedly failing to protect Bolleau from the alleged abuse. She is seeking unspecified damages for economic losses and emotional distress, along with punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.
“Over the last decade, countless child actors have come forward to bravely share their experiences of abuse by adults in entertainment,” Bolleau’s attorneys, Douglas Wigdor and Jane Kim, said in a statement to the media.
“This conduct is inexcusable and those involved — directly or indirectly — must be held accountable,” they added.
Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment from multiple outlets.
The Poof Point also starred Tahj Mowry, Dawnn Lewis and Mark Curry. Bolleau’s other credits include Malcolm & Eddie, The Amanda Show and Double Dare 2000. She later voiced Nubia Gross on Disney’s The Proud Family and returned for the revival series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
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