Actor Michael Pitt, best known for his roles on “Boardwalk Empire” and “Dawson's Creek,” has been accused of sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend, strangling her and attacking her with a cinder block and a piece of wood in their New York home, according to a grand jury indictment.
Pitt, 44, whose lawyers deny the charges, was arrested Friday on nine counts, including first-degree sexual abuse, criminal sexual conduct, assault, attempted assault and strangulation.
The indictment describes four incidents that occurred between April 2020 and August 2021 at Pitt's home in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez's office declined to comment Wednesday beyond the charges in the indictment.
Pitt's attorney Jason Goldman said he already has exculpatory evidence and hopes to have the case dismissed.
“Unfortunately, we live in a world where a man like Mr. Pitt, a seasoned professional who would never contemplate such crimes, can be arrested based on the uncorroborated word of an untrustworthy person,” Mr. Goldman said in a text message to The Associated Press.
He added: “In fact, this baseless accusation was made approximately four or five years after the alleged incident, when both parties were in reasonable relations.”
Pitt pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday and posted $100,000 bail, Goldman said. He is scheduled to appear in court again in Brooklyn on June 17.
The Associated Press typically does not release the names of people who say they have been victims of sexual assault unless they do so publicly, which the woman involved in the Pitt case did not do.
The indictment alleges that Pitt forced his ex-girlfriend to perform sexual acts in April 2020. In August 2020, a grand jury alleges that Pitt forced the woman to perform oral sex and assaulted her with a four-by-four-inch block of wood.
The indictment also alleges that Pitt attacked her twice with a cinder block in June 2021 and choked her in August 2021.
In 2022, TMZ reported that Pitt was arrested in Brooklyn for allegedly punching a man and stealing his phone, and two months later, he was taken to the hospital under police guard after a public altercation in New York City.
Pitt, who grew up in New Jersey, played Jimmy Darmody for two seasons on HBO's Boardwalk Empire, and the cast, led by Steve Buscemi, won Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2011 and 2012 for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Drama Series. The show also won a Golden Globe for Best Drama Series in 2011.
His first leading role was in the 2001 film Hedwig and the Angry Inch. In 2005, he starred in Last Days, directed by Gus Van Sant, based on a fictional rock star inspired by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.
From 1999 to 2000, he also played Henry Parker in one season of Dawson's Creek on The WB.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
