Rachel McAdams and Selma Blair Speak Out About Another Hollywood Sexual Abuser

Trigger Warning: This article discusses sexual assault and rape.

Actors Rachel McAdams and Selma Blair have both spoken out against disgraced Hollywood director James Toback, who sexually harassed them the early 2000s.

A Vanity Fair article reveals that both actors met with Toback, separately, in his hotel room to discuss upcoming projects.

After an audition for one of Toback's movies, Harvard Man, McAdams explains that Toback took an interest in her and, that night, invited her to his hotel room to coach her for the role.

She remembers entering the room and seeing a stack of magazines and books over the floor, which Toback instructed her to read out. This is when, McAdams recalls, things started to get inappropriate. 

McAdams said that Toback began to spout inappropriate comments about her and later asked her to show him her pubic hair.

"Eventually, I just excused myself. I can't remember how long I was there. I felt like I was there forever," McAdams explained. "This has been such a source of shame for me—that I didn't have the wherewithal to get up and leave."

Thank you for listening. @VanityFair. the #original38 and all the hundreds. I am with you. Thank you #Rachelmcadams https://t.co/dbQHUyS2lZ

— Selma Blair (@SelmaBlair) October 26, 2017

Blair echoed a similar method Toback had taken to get her in his hotel room. The Cruel Intentions star explains that she insisted on meeting in the hotel restaurant about a potential role, but upon arriving, the hotel staff informed her that Toback was waiting in his hotel room.

"I was rattled, and looking back, I don't think James Toback ever planned to come down to the restaurant," Blair said. "I really believed that when he started to talk... that he was going to be my mentor. That is how he got into my brain."

Blair then alleges that, after a sexual assault took place, Toback used his power to intimidate her into not speaking out about the incident; a tactic that has been seen in the recounts of Weinstein's assault allegations.

"Why don't women speak up sooner?" HUH I WONDER. https://t.co/9HEMIYHQiw pic.twitter.com/jQvZG8pIDS

— Kate Häxan 🦇 (@thathagengrrl) October 26, 2017

These latest allegations add to the 38 women who spoke out against Toback's predatory behaviour in an article published by the LA Times recently. Since being published, the author, Glenn Whipp, has confirmed that more than 300 women have shared their stories about James Toback's sexual violence.

It's just the latest story in a spate of stories coming out about powerful sexual abusers in the entertainment industry that began with the New York Times' exposé on former Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein, who has now been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than 50 women.

Read more:

Millions Said #MeToo, But Now What?

Cara Delevingne Says Harvey Weinstein Tried to Force Her Into a Threesome for a Film Role

"A Long Way To Go": The Survey on Sexual Violence at Universities Is Only the Beginning

Have you experienced sexual assault or sexual violence? Seeking to support someone who has? Call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

Photo: Flickr (Gage Skidmore)