More high-profile figures in New York may be swept up in scandals. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is now facing sexual assault allegations. The claims date back to 1993, when Adams and his accuser, a woman, both worked for the city of New York.
Mayor Adams denies the allegation.
American actor Jamie Foxx is also facing sexual assault allegations. The suit states the alleged assault occurred in 2015 at a New York City rooftop bar. Foxx denies the allegations, and said he plans to file a countersuit.
Despite several lawsuits filed against well-known people, an attorney in New York tells Scripps News that most of the suits filed have not been against high-profile figures.
"The vast majority, or at least more than half of these cases actually have been against former inmates in correctional facilities, Rikers Island and things like that, that claim that the correctional officers sexually assaulted them while they were behind bars," said Cynthia Augello, partner with the Warren Law Group.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams accused of 1993 sexual assault in legal filing
A City Hall spokesman said the mayor does not know the person making the accusation and denied the claim.
The Adult Survivors Act was signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022, opening a one-year window for adult survivors of sexual assault to sue their alleged abusers regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred.
"With most claims there is a statute of limitations — there's a time where it has to stop, and there's a lot of reasons for that. The legal system and the courts are extremely overworked. COVID made it even worse, and now if you allow people to just bring lawsuits forever and forever without a statute of limitations the courts are going to be completely overburdened," said Augello.
Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose has also been hit with sexual assault claims. A former model for Penthouse magazine accuses Rose of raping her in a New York City hotel in 1989. Rose's lawyer has claimed the assault "never happened."
Two women filed separate lawsuits against Cuba Gooding Jr. accusing the actor of sexual assault and battery. And legal troubles continue for American rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, who faces a second lawsuit in a week, this time accusing him of drugging and raping a woman in 1991.
Last week, the singer's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, accused Combs of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse in a lawsuit. A day after those claims were filed, both parties reached a resolution. A settlement amount was not disclosed.
