Asia Argento Withdraws from Dutch Music Festival Amid Assault Claim

Italian actress and director Asia Argento is pictured during the jury members press confer
ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Italian actress and filmmaker Asia Argento has backed out of curating a Dutch music festival after a young actor accused her of sexual assault.

Organizers of the “Le Guess Who?” festival said in a statement Wednesday that “due to the volatile nature of the accusations surrounding Ms. Argento, she has chosen to withdraw from her curatorship of this year’s edition, while these issues remain open.”

Argento, a prominent #MeToo activist, was one of the curators of the festival which takes place in the city of Utrecht in November.

Actor Jimmy Bennett claimed Argento, then 37, sexually assaulted him when he was 17 in 2013. Argento denied ever having a sexual relationship with Bennett, whom she agreed to pay $380,000 in a settlement.

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