Arnold Schwarzenegger ‘Shocked’ Over Eliza Dushku’s ‘True Lies’ Sexual Assault, Praises Her ‘Courage’ For Speaking Out
Zack Sharf
Arnold Schwarzenegger has weighed in on Eliza Dushku‘s revelation that she was sexually assaulted by stunt coordinator Joel Kramer on the set of James Cameron’s “True Lies” when she 12 years old. Dushku described the assault in a lengthy Facebook post published January 13. In addition to the abuse, the actress said that she was physically injured during a stunt gone wrong after her friend confronted Kramer about the incident.
Schwarzenegger reacted to the assault claims on Twitter, responding to a comment from Tom Arnold by saying he would’ve absolutely done something if he had known about the abuse during the production. “You bet your ass all of us would have done something,” Schwarzenegger wrote, referring to Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, and himself.
“I’m shocked and saddened for Eliza but I am also proud of her – beyond being a great talent and an amazing woman, she is so courageous,” he continued.
Tom, you bet your ass all of us would have done something. I’m shocked and saddened for Eliza but I am also proud of her – beyond being a great talent and an amazing woman, she is so courageous. https://t.co/EJJbkdior2
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 16, 2018
Schwarzenegger’s response follows similar statements made by both Cameron and Curtis. The latter wrote a first-person essay for The Huffington Post in which she revealed Dushku told her about the assault a few years ago. Curtis played Dushku’s mother in the movie and said she was as “shocked and saddened” today as she was when Dushku first told her about the assault.
“Eliza’s story has now awakened us from our denial slumber to a new, horrific reality,” Curtis wrote. “The abuse of children.”
Cameron, meanwhile, addressed the matter during an appearance at the Television Critics Association press tour on January 13. The director said he was never told about the assault during production, but claimed that there “would have been no mercy” had he known.
“Eliza is very brave for speaking up,” Cameron added. “I think this has been endemic throughout human systems — it’s just heartbreaking that it happened to her.”
In the wake of Dushku’s allegation, two more allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Kramer. Stunt woman Laura Albert told Deadline that Kramer was sexually inappropriate with her 15-year-old sister and had sex with her 16-year-old friend on the 1997 set of “Virus.” An anonymous woman, also a stunt worker, alleges Kramer forced her to perform oral sex on him in the late 1970s or early 1980s in the San Fernando Valley.
