In a recent legal development, acclaimed US actor Jamie Foxx and Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose find themselves at the centre of sexual assault accusations, with lawsuits filed against them in New York just before the statute of limitations deadline.
Sheila Kennedy, an actress and model, filed a case against Axl Rose, claiming that he “sexually assaulted her” in 1989, emphasizing that she “did not consent and felt overpowered.”
The plaintiff in the Jamie Foxx case, identified as Jane Doe, alleges that Foxx “intentionally and without consent used force to offensively touch” her by groping her breasts and genitals at a Manhattan rooftop bar in 2015.
Both lawsuits highlight their submission under the New York Adult Survivors Act, a legal provision enabling sexual assault suits on cases that were previously time-barred.
A 61-year-old Axl Rose, lead singer of the renowned rock band Guns N’ Roses, has yet to publicly comment on the allegations, which emerged after his attendance at the Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix over the weekend.
According to the filing, the incident between Rose and Kennedy allegedly occurred in a New York hotel room after the two met at a nightclub. The civil case seeks a jury trial and punitive damages for Kennedy.
In the complaint, it is alleged that Rose forced anal sex on Kennedy, with her lawyers asserting that she “believed Rose would physically attack her, or worse if she said no or attempted to push him away.” The complaint contends that Rose exploited his celebrity status and power in the music industry to manipulate and violently assault Kennedy.
Guns N’ Roses, known for hits like “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” has not issued a statement regarding the allegations against their lead singer.
In the Jamie Foxx case, the accuser claims that the Oscar-winning actor, now 55, grabbed her by the “arm and pulled her to the back area of the rooftop” after meeting her at the bar. Allegedly, Foxx proceeded to grope her until a friend intervened.
The lawsuit against Foxx, whose real name is Eric Marlon Bishop, also calls for a jury trial and the possibility of punitive damages. The plaintiff contends that she will be permanently affected by the injuries and emotional distress resulting from the alleged sexual assault, abuse, assault, and battery.
In addition to his accomplishments as a comedian and Grammy-winning singer, Jamie Foxx won an Academy Award in 2005 for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the musical biopic “Ray” and received an Oscar nomination for “Collateral” in the same year.