Tina Fey, Seth Myers, Will Ferrell among SNL A-List accused of 'observing' Horatio Sanz groping underage victim
Warning: The article contains details of incidents of sexual abuse which can be triggering to some readers
There seems to be an update in the case filed against comedian Horatio Sanz, accused of grooming a teenage girl and sexually assaulting her, 21 years ago, while he was a cast member on ‘Saturday Night Live’. Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, and Maya Rudolph, Seth Meyers allegedly saw their co-star Horatio sexually assault the girl and they did nothing to stop him, states the affidavit filed by the Pennsylvania woman, who remains unnamed in the suit.
As per reports by RadarOnline.com, during a May 2002 after-party, Sanz allegedly kissed the victim, who was around 17 back then, groped her breast and buttocks, and digitally penetrated her genitals, in front of a bevy of SNL stars. “He also rubbed Plaintiff’s vagina over top of her clothes,” the lawsuit claims. The victim looked up and noticed that many members of the 2002 SNL cast, including Ana Gasteyer, Fey, Rachel Dratch, Ferrell and Rudolph, stood in the entranceway 'observing' and commenting to one another as they observed Sanz groping her.
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The SNL A-list watched Horatio Sanz and did nothing
Sanz's victim claimed the stars all appeared 'grossed out' but continued staring or carried on in a wild party attended by 'sex workers' and reportedly thrown by Tracy Morgan.
"I was horrified to realize that I was on display for most of the SNL cast to see," she says, "and I expressed my discomfort to Sanz." "He dismissed my shock and embarrassment, telling me to keep going with him despite everyone gawking at us."
Previously Jimmy Fallon's name also came up in the case. The Jane Doe claimed that she had attended at least 12 different parties with the SNL cast between May 2001 and November 2002, starting when she was just 16 years old, reports Daily Mail. She had alleged that Sanz began grooming her when she was just a 15-year-old intern working for Fallon, who allegedly relayed messages for Sanz. She claims Fallon saw the teen drinking alcohol with Sanz during an SNL after-party on May 11, 2002, at the Ristorante Barolo, in Manhattan, and just acted chummy. "Aww, you guys," Fallon allegedly said as he hugged the two.
The allegation and the lawsuit
The lawsuit filed in New York on August 12 alleges that Sanz groped and forcibly digitally penetrated the 17-year-old girl at SNL after-parties in May 2002. The lawsuit also names SNL Studios and parent company NBCUniversal as defendants, claiming that both NBC and SNL “permitted and enabled” Sanz’s behavior.
The complaint was filed by plaintiff Jane Doe, a Pennsylvania woman who chose to keep her identity anonymous due to her status as a minor at the time of the alleged non-consensual sexual contact. She claimed that she first came into contact with Sanz online when she was 15 years and running an SNL fan site. In January 2000, Sanz allegedly “began his process of grooming Plaintiff,” which included an October 2000 in-person meeting after an SNL taping. According to the lawsuit, Sanz became flirtatious and physically affectionate with the then 15-year-old by kissing her cheek and putting his hands on her waist during their in-person meeting following an SNL taping. The lawsuit further stated that in 2001, Sanz began talking to the minor on AOL Instant Messenger and intentionally steered conversations to discuss sex, sexual experiences, sexual activities, sexual fantasies, masturbation, as well as solicit inappropriate photographs from Doe.
In May 2002, Doe alleges that she attended two SNL after-parties with Sanz when she was 17. At one of the parties hosted at a cast member’s loft, Doe alleges that the comedian assaulted her. Also, she stated that one of the NBC employees attending the party saw this happening, and told him, “Are you f**king serious?”
In a statement to Vulture, Sanz’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, denied all the claims made against his client, calling them categorically false. He wrote, “However often she repeats her ludicrous allegations or tries to rope in other high-profile names to generate media attention, they will always be false."