In January, Dutch model Faviola Dadis and former actress Regina Simons accused actor Steven Seagal of sexual assault. Emboldened by the #MeToo movement, they shared their stories at a press conference on Monday, often while fighting back tears. This is the first time they have spoken publicly about the ordeal.
In 2002, Faviola Dadis moved from The Netherlands to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. A music producer introduced her to Seagal, and the two hit it off. The action star said he was making a movie about Genghis Khan, and invited her to audition for a role. But it wasn't just any audition. It was a "private audition" late at night at The W Hotel, and she was instructed to arrive wearing a bikini or a bra and panties under her clothing. When she arrived, an assistant took her to a hotel room, where she was left alone with Seagal and his personal bodyguard.
"Steven asked me to take off my clothes, which I did, although I was nervous considering there were no other individuals present, and do a cat walk through the room for him," said Davis. Then Seagal suggested they act out a "romantic scene" to see if they had chemistry. "I felt uncomfortable because I was in my bikini, and I shyly expressed this,” said Dadis. "However, instead of respecting my boundaries, Seven slipped his hand underneath my bikini top and began pinching my nipples and simultaneously slid his hand across my vaginal area, which was only meagerly covered."
Seagal then declared the audition over, and Dadis left. She did not return his calls. She was 17 years old.
In 1994, Regina Simons was pursuing an acting career, and worked as an extra on the film On Deadly Ground. Once her work completed, Seagal invited her to his house for a wrap party. However, when she arrived, she discovered it wasn't much of a party, since there were no other guests. Seagal greeted her dressed in a bathrobe, and said he wanted to show her something. Simons says that he led her into the bedroom and raped her. She was 18 years old.
"I was completely caught off guard," said Simons. "Seagal was more than twice my size and twice my age. I was not sexually active, nor had I ever been naked in front of a man before. I froze. I remember him taking off his robe, and the next thing I knew he was inside of me. There was nothing consensual about this." Afterward, she quickly got dressed and drove home, while crying. It took years for her to recover. "This completely changed the trajectory of my life," said Simons. "I found it difficult to eat or sleep. I struggled to form healthy relationships."
This isn't the first time Seagal has been accused of sexual misconduct. Last November, actress Portia de Rossi shared a story about Seagal exposing himself at an audition. Faviola Dadis and Regina Simons are represented by attorney Lisa Bloom, who has a history of representing victims of sexual harassment and assault. They have filed reports with the Los Angeles Police Department are say they are looking at "all legal options."