SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah woman who filed a lawsuit Monday accusing actor Tom Sizemore of groping her at a photo shoot when she was 11 said she is standing up for other child actors.
Kiersten Pyke, 26, spoke for the first time Monday at her attorney’s office in Salt Lake City about six months after her allegations against Sizemore surfaced. Pyke said her dreams of having an acting career evaporated after the 2003 incident during production of the “Born Killers” movie, leaving her with post-traumatic stress and drug and alcohol addiction that have plagued her life.
She and her attorney, Robert Sykes, said they don’t think Sizemore will be able to pay the $3 million in damages they are seeking because his career has sputtered, but the lawsuit is about sending a message.
The Associated Press doesn’t usually name alleged victims of sexual assault, but Pyke has decided to go public with her story.
“It’s not OK to touch children, plain and simple,” Pyke said. “Whatever comes from it it’s not for me at this point. … There are children out there who may watch this and, like I did, will say something to their mommies or their daddies.”
As she spoke with her therapy dog beside her – a grey pit bull named Diesel – she added: “You can’t put a price on a childhood that I lost.”
Sizemore denied the “highly disturbing” allegation when it surfaced last year, saying he would never inappropriately touch a child.
Sizemore spokeswoman Michelle Salem did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment.
Salt Lake City police investigated in 2003, but prosecutors didn’t file charges, citing witness and evidence problems.
Sizemore’s career has included prominent roles in “Saving Private Ryan” and “Black Hawk Down,” but he’s been dogged by drug abuse and domestic violence arrests.
Pyke said she remembers being so excited to do her first Hollywood movie and work with a star like Sizemore. She had acted on several other films which she described as “B” movies.
Sizemore played her father in the movie and the alleged incident took place during a Christmas morning scene, Pyke said. She said he was briefly suspended from the movie after her parents reported the abuse to movie officials, but he was allowed to return. She was let go, she said.
Pyke said she often thought about the incident but didn’t seriously consider a lawsuit until the Hollywood Reporter ran a story in November about the alleged incident based on accounts from the movie’s casting director and other actors who were there.
According to Pyke, her parents told her that police said back then that there was nothing more they could do after prosecutors passed on charges. She said her parents felt “railroaded” by Sizemore’s powerful attorneys, who she says told them they would never win.
“I’m here to tell them 15 years later that we will win,” Pyke said.
Written by BRADY McCOMBS, Associated Press
Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.
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Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
I didn’t know Tom was a member of the FLDS.
He thought he was burping her. That’s what I have heard.
I have a very difficult time with these types of accusations, many decades old.
People are verbally assaulted with no downside risk to themselves.
For instance, should this be found to be untrue, will he get $3 million.
Perhaps I’m being overly harsh, but these types of complaints are a near fad, it seems.
I agree, I have trouble believing a woman’s whole life was ruined by a fondling incident. From what I’ve read the psychological issues caused by a single fondling incident are very minor when compared to those caused by a long term molestation situation or incest. I believe this woman may be jumping on the #metoo bandwagon just because it’s the trend… and, ofc, $$$.
Nope, not a member; but Warren and Lyle Jeffs do have something in common with him, and that is they are all working for the Zionists. Show me a Zionist and I’ll show you a psychopathic pedophile. They control Hollywood and the media, they control the banking and finance industries, they control the politicians and the military/police. They have controlled our perspectives on history and still control the education system from preschool to university; but they are losing that control, and I thank god for that. #TedGunderson
true, not all, but a lot of it is the zionists. unfortunately, ‘the donald’ is owned by them as well.
I have no doubt she was fondled. In fact, I believe all these women coming forward. Its Hollywood. That’s what they do. It’s no secret. That’s how the Hollywood system rolls. It happens to adults and children. Hollywood is a disgusting group of people. (I use the word Hollywood as a group of people in charge of peoples success or failures, people with power and control)
My problem is this coming forward decades later is s trend, a fad, another Hollywood moment. It’s easy to come forward when a group of people are doing it. The real courageous women are the ones that spoke up when no one else was.
When is this going to end? When are these #metoo women going to move forward. Cuz I’ll believe every single one of them. I say go after them but dont go after money. The little people, the regular folks without millions of dollars that have been abused or molested, dont have that luxury of suing for millions.
You want to stand up for all women? Then dont sue for money in your pocket. Perhaps, if they do sue for money, then all monies should be donated to women’s shelters. That would be a #metoo moment. Not an I’m rich moment.
If this would become a thing I would back the women as well, problem is women like this one (total crazy eyes) are just looking for a pay day IMO.
Don’t forget about the ambulance chasers whispering in the ears of over the hill starlets. If Gloria can get rich by hanging out at the privy, I’ll follow her lead.
Lets see– 1/3 of a $ 3 million dollar judgement is ‘WOW’ a new summer home! Yes, follow the trend, it’s just a business, you know?