Actress Raquel Lee entered into a confidential settlement agreement with actor Mark Curry in 2015, more than a decade before filing her current lawsuit against Disney, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Curry portrayed Lee's father in the 2001 Disney Channel film "The Poof Point." The terms of the 2015 settlement remain undisclosed, and neither party has publicly addressed the nature of the agreement.
Gloria Allred, the prominent attorney who represented more than 30 accusers of Bill Cosby, served as Lee's legal counsel during the settlement negotiations with Curry.
The revelation of the earlier settlement comes as Lee pursues legal action against Disney, alleging the entertainment company failed to protect her from sexual assault by an unnamed adult employee during production of "The Poof Point" when she was 14 years old.
In her current lawsuit, Lee claims Disney staff instructed her to "bond" with the man she accuses of assaulting her during the 2001 filming. She alleges the abuse occurred in his hotel room and continued throughout production, including an incident on a flight returning to California.
The lawsuit further alleges that Disney executives blamed Lee after her behavior and performance changed dramatically following the alleged assaults. Lee contends the experience destroyed her acting career and caused years of emotional and psychological damage.
Lee is seeking unspecified damages from Disney on grounds of negligence, arguing the studio repeatedly placed her in close contact with her alleged abuser despite its duty to protect minor performers.
The connection between the 2015 settlement with Curry and the current Disney lawsuit remains unclear, as details of the earlier agreement have not been made public.
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a pop culture junkie and loves to share what's happening in Hollywood and what trends are taking the world by storm.
