LOS ANGELES: Seven former child actors say they were sexually abused by prominent Hollywood producer Gary Goddard during the 1970s, adding weight to accusations made earlier by the actor Anthony Edwards.
It came as actress Meryl Streep was targeted in a poster campaign by a rightwing guerrilla artist for allegedly enabling Harvey Weinstein, the movie mogul whose downfall following allegations of rape in October triggered a movement against predatory men.
The actors accusing Goddard told their stories to the Los Angeles Times, saying they had been moved to come forward by the account from Edwards — famous for his work on “ER” and “Top Gun” — who said that as his mentor and representative starting when Edwards was 12, Goddard had sexually abused him for years.
The seven men said Goddard’s advances had ranged “from straying hands on thighs during lulls in a production or fondling in a darkened Disneyland ride, to repeated incidents of sexual abuse during a troupe’s overnight stays in a statewide tour” in California.
Among those denouncing Goddard were Bret Nighman; Mark Driscoll, today a television producer and writer; and Linus Huffman, who at age 13 acted in a Goddard adaptation of “Oliver.”
“He pulled me aside and put his hands on my leg and went, ‘I’m very proud of you,’ and was going toward my crotch area,” said Huffman, adding that he made an excuse and quickly left.
The producer’s publicist, Sam Singer, told AFP that Goddard would not be responding to the allegations, which he said were “full of innuendo and hearsay.”
“If it were possible to prove a negative, Mr. Goddard would debate these 40-year-old allegations,” he said. “Since that is not possible, he will not respond.”
Edwards wrote in an online essay last month that Goddard had cynically manipulated young boys to satisfy his desires — and had raped Edwards’ best friend.
“This is a man who’s attracted to little boys, and attracted in the sickest way,” he wrote.
The US entertainment world has been jolted since October by dozens of public complaints of sexual aggression, abuse and even rape made against personalities as prominent and powerful actor Kevin Spacey and comedian Louis CK.
On Tuesday, around a dozen posters depicting actress Meryl Streep as an enabler of Weinstein, her long term friend, appeared in Los Angeles following a recent Twitter attack on her by Rose McGowan.
McGowan accused Streep of turning a blind eye to Weinstein’s behavior.
Sabo, a 49-year-old rightwing guerilla artist and former US marine told Britain’s Guardian newspaper he created the posters, which show Streep with a red stripe across her face and the text “She knew.”
He added that he had conceived the campaign as retaliation for Streep using her latest film “The Post” to attack Trump. “She’s swiping at us so we’re swiping back.”
Seven former child actors accuse producer Goddard of sexual abuse
Seven former child actors accuse producer Goddard of sexual abuse
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
