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Dozens of women accuse Hollywood director of sexual harassment: report

by Julia Manchester - 10/22/17 1:31 PM ET

More than 30 women are coming forward with sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood director James Toback going back decades, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The newspaper spoke with 38 women about their experiences with Toback.

{mosads}His accusers said Toback would often bill meetings with young, aspiring actresses as career opportunities before taking them back to private spaces where he harassed them.

Toback denied the claims, telling the Times it was “biologically impossible” for him to perform the acts cited by his accusers due to his heart condition and diabetes.

Toback has worked in the film industry as a writer and director since the 1970s.

He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in writing “Bugsy,” which starred Warren Beatty.

His most recent movie “The Private Life of a Modern Woman,” starred British actress Sienna Miller, and was featured at the Venice film festival.

The accusations against Toback come after numerous actresses across the U.S. and overseas have accused movie producer and former studio executive Harvey Weinstein of rape, sexual assault and harassment.

Weinstein has since been fired from his own company, and was ousted from the highly prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The revelations from high-profile women in Hollywood helped in part to ignite the “#MeToo” social media campaign, which encourages women to share their experiences pertaining to sexual assault and harassment in an effort to shine a brighter light on the issue.

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