Ballerina Dusty Button and husband Mitchell accused of raping minor girl at gunpoint
Boston Ballet's star ballerina Dusty Button and her husband Mitchell Taylor Button is at the center of another controversy, as three more women have accused them of sexual abuse. Mitchell Button was earlier accused of sexually abusing two underage girls while his wife Dusty Button aided in the act. Now, three other victims have come forward with similar allegations in an expanded lawsuit filed recently.
The new lawsuit identifies one of the accusers as Jane Doe 100, who alleges that she was underage when Dusty Button befriended her in 2014. She also introduced the alleged victim to her husband and dance instructor Mitchell. According to the victim's attorney Sigrid McCawley, the Buttons then plied the girl with alcohol and escorted her to their home, where Mitchell allegedly raped her with guns all around. Meanwhile, Dusty Button allegedly held a gun and apparently filmed the sexual assault, where the victim cried and begged for stopping.
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The latest lawsuit also comprises allegations by two other women who were also underage when the Buttons abused them. In total, five victims have accused the couple of sexually and emotionally abusing young female dancers.
The first accusations against Mitchell Button came to light in July 2021, when professional dancers Sage Humphries and Gina Menichino accused him of sexual assault, while Dusty Button was accused of helping him. Humphries and Menichino originally filed a lawsuit in the US District Court of Nevada, where they named only Mitchell as the defendant while Dusty was named as an alleged predator. However, in the expanded lawsuit filed last week, Dusty has been mentioned as a defendant alongside Mitchell.
Jane Doe 100 first met Dusty at the Boston-based dance school Urbanity Dance. She befriended the minor, who was a part of the apprenticeship program there, meant for talented school girls aged 14 years. After gaining her 'loyalty and trust', Dusty introduced her to Mitchell. The couple allegedly promised to make the girl 'a star' if she spent more time with them.
According to the suit, during the sexual abuse, "Dusty kissed and touched the girl while restraining her on the mattress while her husband began sexually assaulting her." It further alleges that the girl 'began to cry' and told them 'no' and 'stop' but the couple continued, with Dusty restraining her while Mitchell 'forcibly penetrated' her.
The ordeal left the girl terrified and traumatized, even pushing her away from a prospective career in dance. "I am grateful to my fellow dancers for bravely bringing this action and for giving me the courage to come forward and speak out about the abuse I suffered. Together, I believe, we can stop the accused from ever damaging another young dancer," she shared at present.
