US actor Jamie Foxx and Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose were each accused of sexual assault Wednesday, part of a flurry of suits filed in New York before a statute of limitations deadline. In the filing against Rose, Sheila Kennedy, an actress and model who once appeared in Penthouse, alleges that he “sexually assaulted her” in 1989. The lawsuit, which names the singer and a restaurant where the alleged incident occurred, seeks unspecified damages for battery, sexual assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The 61-year-old rock star has not responded to the allegations. In the Foxx case, the alleged victim, identified only as Jane Doe, said that the Strays actor grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the back area of the rooftop bar in Manhattan’s Catch, where he groped her breasts and genitals. She says she tried to step away but that he shoved his hands under her crop top and into her pants, where they stayed until a friend saw her and forced Foxx to stop.
Doe claims she suffered severe emotional, psychological, and financial damage as a result of the encounter, which took place one night after the two met at the restaurant. Her suit also names restaurateur Mark Birnbaum, the managing partner of Catch Hospitality Group, and manager Arie Kovant as defendants.
Sheila, who was 18 at the time of the alleged attack, says she went to the restaurant in hopes of meeting the Strays star and having photos taken with him. She claims she was seated one table away from Foxx and Birnbaum and that crowds were constantly ushered past their tables.
According to the lawsuit, Doe said that a few minutes after she and Foxx started to take pictures together, Foxx pulled her by the arm to the back area of the rooftop bar, where they began interacting. She says he grabbed her thigh, rubbed her breasts, and groped her genitals. She allegedly attempted to push him away and says that a security guard saw the interaction but did not intervene.
In the filing, Doe claims she felt afraid for her safety and thought that Rose would physically attack her if she pushed him away. She says that she told him she did not consent to his groping and that she felt overpowered. She adds that she is seeking unspecified damages for pain and suffering, economic loss, emotional trauma, and punitive damages in an amount exceeding the jurisdiction of lower courts.
Both of the suits were filed under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which gives victims of sexual assault a one-year window to sue their abusers. The law expires at midnight on Thursday. Rapper Sean Combs settled a similar case filed under the law last week by R&B singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura. Click for more on that story. TMZ has contacted reps for both stars but has not received a response.
