Actress Asia Argento has accused filmmaker Rob Cohen of drugging and sexually assaulting her during the filming of action movie 'xXx' more than a decade ago. Argento who was one of the first accusers of infamous Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein, made the revelations in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Seraover the weekend.
Argento also confirmed to Variety the details of her allegation, adding that she has mentioned it at length in her upcoming autobiography, Anatomy of a Wild Heart, which is due to be released in Italy later this month. In 2019, Cohen, who has directed films like the 'Fast and Furious', was accused via a Huffington Post report of allegedly sexually assaulting an unnamed victim — given the name "Jane" in the article to protect her anonymity — while she was unconscious.
Breaking Her Silence
"It's the first time I'm talking about Cohen," Argento told the Italian media outlet. "He abused me by making me drink GHB, he had a bottle of it," she said, adding, "At the time, I honestly didn't know what it was. I woke up in the morning naked in his bed." Argento said that she was unsure what happened to her as she was so drugged.
GHB is a fast-acting anesthetic that has become known as a regularly used date rape drug. Argento alleged that the assault took place while she was filming the Cohen-directed 'xXx' in 2002, which also stars Vin Diesel and Samuel L Jackson.
However, Argento later realized that she was raped after being drugged. 'I discovered later, speaking with a friend who opened my eyes about that substance [GHB],' she said.
Speaking on Mediaset talk show 'Verissimo' on Saturday to promote the book, Argento specified that she previously didn't come out with the accusations against Cohen as she did not want to create another storm. However, she decided to talk about it now as she wanted to share the information to help other women who may be faced with the same issue. "The purest thing about this MeToo is that one woman recognizes herself in the other. If one keeps a bottle of GHB, he will surely have given it to others as well."
Not the First Time
Responding to Argento's claims, a spokesperson for Cohen denied there was any truth to them. "Mr. Cohen categorically denies the completely false accusation of sexual assault that Asia Argento made against him," he said. Howeevr, this isn't the first time the director has been accused.
In 2019, the Cohen's eldest daughter Valkyrie Weather accused him of sexual assault in a public Facebook post. Weather also accused Cohen of taking her to visit sex workers in overseas shooting locations when she was a teen. Cohen has denied the allegations in both cases.
The same year, Cohen was accused via a Huffington Post report of allegedly sexually assaulting an unnamed victim. The victim's name wasn't revealed and was mentioned only as Jane to protect her identity. The alleged victim had said that Cohen assaulted her in 2015 when she was unconscious. The reported assault took place after Cohen invited Jane to a business meeting in Manhattan to discuss collaborating on a TV pilot.
On the other hand, Argento was also accused of sexual assault in 2018 by actor and musician Jimmy Bennett. Bennett at that time had claimed that a then 37-year-old Argento assaulted him in a California hotel in 2013, only two months after his 17th birthday. The age of consent in California is 18. Argento, however, had denied the allegations.
