A woman publicly accused Oscar-winning actor and producer Michael Douglas of s-xual misconduct on Friday, saying he repeatedly verbally harassed her and fondled himself in front of her in the 1980s.
"He believed that he was the king of the world and that he could humiliate me without any repercussions," journalist and writer Susan Braudy, who worked for Douglas, said on NBC News' "Today" show.
Douglas, 73, previously denied these allegations in articles published in the past two weeks, including one in which he called the claims fabrications. His agent, Allen Burry, said Friday there would be no further comment.
The allegations against Douglas were the latest in a series of claims by women who say they were victims of powerful men in the entertainment industry.
Film producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey and comedian Louis C.K. They are among the most prominent men to have been accused by women.
Braudy, a former Warner Bros. studio executive, worked for the Douglas production company for three years.
The woman said Douglas repeatedly used s-xual language in conversations between them and that her conduct escalated during a work meeting at her New York apartment in 1989 when he groped his crotch in front of her.
“He got down on the ground, unbuckled his belt and put his hands in his pants,” Braudy told NBC News, saying she panicked and ran out the front door.
Douglas, in an article published Thursday in the Hollywood Reporter magazine, called Braudy's testimony about the incident at her apartment "a complete and unfortunate fabrication." He admitted to inappropriate discussions, but disputed Braudy's claims that it was a hostile workplace, according to the publication.
Douglas, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1988 and for Best Picture in 1976, said he supports the #MeToo movement of women who break their silence about harassment. s-xual behavior or inappropriate behavior in the past, and that he has the support of his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and their children.
