10 celebrities who were accused of alleged sexual assault in 2023

A string of high-profile celebrities were recently accused of sexual abuse in the lead-up to Thanksgiving in the US.

According to The Washington Post, the past month has seen a surge in sexual assault cases against several men in the entertainment industry – from Sean “Diddy” Combs to Jamie Foxx – with many of them filed under the Adult Survivors Act. Some of the alleged abuse took place years or even decades ago.

The Act, which was brought in a year ago, created a year-long suspension of the usual time limit to sue someone for alleged sexual assault, allowing victims to sue for abuse that took place at any time during their adult life, according to Sky News. However, the law expired on November 23, which may explain the sudden increase in last-minute lawsuits as survivors hurry to come forward with their allegations.

Is Mariah Carey still with her Asian-American boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka?

As the Me Too movement showed, there is a dark side to Hollywood. High-profile cases involving powerful figures from disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein to the late Jeffrey Epstein exposed the problematic underbelly of an industry that prides itself on glamour.

Here are 10 celebrities who have been accused of sexual assault in the past year alone.

1. Sean “Diddy” Combs

Sean “Diddy” Combs was recently accused rape by Joi Dickerson-Neal. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

Earlier this week, the rapper was accused of sexual assault for the second time, just days after settling a different lawsuit that alleged he had raped and abused another woman, per People.

According to court documents obtained by People, Joi Dickerson-Neal has accused Diddy of drugging and raping her when she was a university student in 1991, adding that she was also the victim of “revenge porn”, with Diddy allegedly recording and sharing a tape of the incident. A spokesperson for Combs responded by saying that “Mr Combs never assaulted her, and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more.”

2. Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx is being sued by a woman who alleges she had a distressing encounter with the actor at a New York restaurant, which he denies. Photo: Invision/AP

In another recent report, it was revealed that US actor Jamie Foxx was being sued by a woman who alleged “sexual assault, abuse, assault and battery” for a second time after filing a similar suit three years ago that was dismissed, per the BBC.

The lawsuit claims that Foxx groped the woman after she asked him to take a photo with her at an NYC rooftop restaurant in 2015. A representative for Foxx responded by saying that “the alleged incident never happened”, per the BBC, and that once the case has been dismissed “Mr Foxx intends to pursue a claim for malicious prosecution against this person and her lawyers for refiling this frivolous action.”

Who is Travis Kelce’s sister-in-law Kylie, who weighed in on Taylor Swift?

3. Axl Rose

Singer Axl Rose has been accused of attacking Sheila Kennedy in 1989, but denies the incident ever happened. Photo: AFP

It was reported last week that Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose is being sued for alleged sexual assault back in 1989. According to the BBC, former model Sheila Kennedy came forward to claim that the rock star violently attacked her in an encounter in a hotel room in New York that year. Rose’s lawyer rejected the allegations and responded in a statement to CNN, stating, “Simply put, this incident never happened,” adding that Rose had “no recollection” of ever meeting Kennedy.

4. Russell Brand

British comedian Russell Brand says he “absolutely refute[s]” accusations he sexually assaulted several women in the mid 2010s. Photo: AFP

In September, British actor and comedian Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four women, according to an investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches programme.

The women claimed that the alleged assaults took place between 2006 to 2013. The Forgetting Sarah Marshall actor immediately denied the allegations in a video posted on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter), saying that, “Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.”

Mimi’s mini-mes: Who are Mariah Carey’s twins, Monroe and Moroccan Cannon?

5. Steven Tyler

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler has been accused of molesting a 17-year-old he met in the 1970s. Photo: Reuters

In early November, the Aerosmith singer was accused of molesting a 17-year-old he met in the 1970s, reported The Guardian. He was previously sued by Julia Holcomb Misley for alleged sexual battery and the assault of a minor during the same period, as the pair dated when Holcomb Misley was just 16 years old, per the newspaper.

6. Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby arrives for a sentencing hearing following his sexual assault conviction in 2018. Photo: AP

Bill Cosby’s reputation as the lovable dad on 1980s sitcom The Cosby Show was left in tatters as one woman after another came out to accuse him of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment from 2014 onwards. In the end, over 60 women accused him of such crimes, per AP. The disgraced comedian was recently accused of sexual assault again, as per a recent report from CNN.

7. Jonah Hill

Revelations from Jonah Hill’s ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady prompted another actress to allege assault by the actor, which he says is a “complete fabrication”. Photo: Reuters

After the actor’s ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady accused Hill of being “emotionally abusive” and a “misogynist narcissist”, it prompted Zoey 101 star Alexa Nikolas to come forward with her allegations against the Hollywood star, according to the Independent.

“After reading Sarah Brady’s admirable post about #JonahHill I just gotta say when I was 16 I got invited to a house party at #justinlongs house,” she tweeted. “[Hill] slammed me to the door and shoved his tongue down my throat. I was so appalled I pushed him off of me and ran inside.”

Hill’s lawyers claimed that the story was a “complete fabrication”, per Deadline.

Jeff Bezos’ multimillion-dollar property portfolio, from Indian Creek to NY

8. Danny Masterson

Actor Danny Masterson was sentenced on September 7 to at least 30 years in prison for raping two women at his home two decades ago. Photo: Getty/AFP

In September, the That ‘70s Show actor was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after being convicted of raping two women, as reported by ABC News. Controversially, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis sent letters of support for their friend to a judge after his conviction, and faced a huge online backlash.

9. Conor McGregor

Charges against UFC fighter Conor McGregor were dropped in October. Photo: @thenotoriousmma/Instagram

According to the BBC, the UFC fighter was accused of “violently” forcing himself on a woman in the VIP bathrooms at an NBA finals game in Miami in June, but the charges have since been dropped.

10. Cuba Gooding Jr

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr being escorted by NYPD officers in Harlem, New York, in June 2019. Photo: Reuters

The Oscar-winning actor was sued by two women again in late November as a result of the Adult Survivors Act after their original criminal lawsuit saw the Jerry Maguire actor plead guilty but not serve jail time for sexual misconduct, as reported in The Guardian.

Daily News