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AFP
A former employee of Michael Douglas has accused the Hollywood megastar of sexual harassment and misconduct in her presence, charges the Oscar-winning actor has vehemently denied.
Douglas is the latest big-name personality accused of seamy behaviour since allegations of sexual wrongdoings led to the downfall of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein in 2017.
Braudy has accused the star of using sexually charged language and commenting on her body during the three years she worked at the actor's New York office of Stonebridge Productions in the 1980s.
Braudy said that the actor's abusive behaviour culminated in 1989 during a work session in his apartment at the height of his career, after he starred in hit movies including Wall Street and Fatal Attraction.
The author of two non-fiction books, said that she told several friends about the incident and they urged her to stay quiet.
"One of my friends said you better not tell people about him. People were frightened for me," she told NBC.
Douglas got ahead of the allegations before they appeared in public, describing them to The Hollywood Reporter as"an unfortunate and complete fabrication."
Douglas said that Braudy had never complained something she denied, even though she acknowledged never reporting the behaviour to the police because she said she did not realise at the time that it could be considered criminal behaviour.
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) published guidelines to prevent sexual harassment cases in the movie industry.
"As producers, we provide key leadership in creating and sustaining work environments built on mutual respect, so it is our obligation to change our culture and eradicate this abuse," the PGA said in guidelines that went out to its 8,200 members.
