“Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson is currently under criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. According to The Blast, Anderson allegedly assaulted a woman last year after an event she catered for the actor.
“It’s unfortunate that anyone can file a police report, whether it is true or false,” Anderson’s representative said in a statement to Variety.com.
“The authorities have not contacted Anthony or any of his representatives about this matter. Anthony unequivocally disputes the claim,” the representative added.
The Blast cited sources familiar with the situation, who said the woman met with Anderson a second time after the event to discuss future business opportunities with the actor when the assault occurred. She later filed a police report with the Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
The LAPD confirmed to Variety.com that a criminal investigation is underway, but had no additional information at this time and could not reveal the nature of the inquiry.
Though the woman apparently did not file a report directly after the alleged incident occurred, according to The Blast, she felt comfortable coming forward months later due in part to the Me Too movement, which has seen numerous women open up about experiences of abuse at the hands of powerful men in the entertainment industry, reports variety.com.
The incident isn’t the first time Anderson has been accused of misconduct. He and assistant director Wayne Witherspoon were accused of raping an extra on the set of the 2004 film “Hustle & Flow”, but the charges were later dropped when the judge ruled that there was no probable cause to try the case.
The actor just received his fourth straight Emmy nomination for his role as patriarch Andre Johnson in Kenya Barris’ ABC family sitcom “Black-ish”. He is set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame later this year.