‘Taxi Driver' Screenwriter Paul Schrader Accused Of Sexual Assault By Former Assistant
The UK title adds that these allegations, the subject of a lawsuit filed in civil court by the unnamed woman, came to light after Schrader reneged on a confidential settlement previously agreed and the complainant filed a new affadavit in New York State Supreme Court.
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AP News reports that the complainant is seeking a judge's order to enforce the agreement after Schrader said he couldn't go through with it. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Schrader's attorney Philip Kessler told The Independent that the filmmaker – whose screenwriting credits include Taxi Driver, American Gigolo and Raging Bull and an Oscar nomination for 2017's First Reformed – denied all the allegations made against him, calling it 'a desperate, frivolous and opportunistic claim.' We have reached out to Schrader's legal representatives for comment.
The former personal assistant, aged 26, made allegations in the lawsuit arising fro her time working for Schrader 2021 to September 2024, including:
That Schrader used his position of power to sexually assault the complainant, luring her into a hotel room, forcibly grabbing and kissing her, then three days later forcing her into his hotel room where he exposed himself;
Schrader 'force[d] her to work in a sexually hostile, intimidating, and humiliating environment on a daily, if not hourly, basis';
A 'barrage' of harassment by Schrader, including, among other things, 'forced exposure of his genitals, unwanted sexual advances, repeatedly professing his love and desire to touch Ms. Doe (both verbally and via numerous emails), and near-constant inappropriate sexual questions and lewd and misogynistic commentary';
Schrader fired her last September after she rejected his advances.
Schrader's attorney said: 'The underlying intentions of the plaintiff here contain many very material inaccuracies, and are obviously designed to paint Mr. Schrader in a very false light, in an effort to intimidate and coerce him into settling. And just to be very clear, Mr. Schrader never had sex in any form with the plaintiff, nor did he ever attempt such a thing. We will vigorously defend this.'
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Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
With ‘Highest 2 Lowest,' Spike Lee updates a neo-noir classic
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Yahoo
4 hours ago
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ChatGPT Lured Him Down a Philosophical Rabbit Hole. Then He Had to Find a Way Out
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Tom's Guide
8 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
I tested ChatGPT-5 vs Claude with 7 challenging prompts — here's the winner
When it comes to AI chatbots, both ChatGPT-5 and Claude have reputations for speed, creativity and accuracy. That's why I just had to know how OpenAI's flagship model and Claude 4 Sonnet, which now can recall past chats, actually stack up when put through the same set of find out, I ran a head-to-head test using seven very different prompts, covering everything from tricky riddles to emotional intelligence to rapid creative brainstorming. The goal wasn't just to see who got the correct answer, but to evaluate depth, tone, structure and how well each model handled the human side of the request. The results revealed some clear strengths (and surprising weaknesses) on both sides. Prompt: "A farmer has 17 sheep, and all but 9 run away. How many are left? Explain your reasoning step-by-step." GPT-5 provided a correct response, but it lacked the depth in addressing misconceptions, making it slightly less effective for users who might struggle with the used a structured, numbered step-by-step format (Steps 1-4). This makes the explanation easy to Claude wins for a more thorough response because it anticipated and explained the riddle aspect, which is crucial for a problem known to cause confusion. Prompt: "Write a short, 150-word story about a detective who can only solve crimes in their dreams. Make it funny and end with a twist." GPT-5 created a vivid, funny character with specific, absurd dream cases. The joke was clear and the twist was genuinely surprising and funny. Claude set up the premise efficiently and added strong, funny details. But the execution felt slightly less vivid and polished than ChatGPT's story. Winner: GPT wins for a slightly funnier, more polished and more surprising story. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Prompt: "Summarize the plot of The Matrix in two formats: (1) like you're explaining it to a 10-year-old, (2) like you're writing a college philosophy essay." GPT-5 was clear and concise for the explanation to a child and focused on epistemology for the philosophical essay, but it lacked Claude's exploration of free will vs. prophecy or hyperreality. In other words, it had strong phrasing but narrower scope. Claude used clear, kid-friendly analogies in the summarization for the child and impressively weaved Plato, Descartes, Baudrillard, and free will/determinism into a cohesive analysis for the philosophy essay. Winner: Claude wins for a college essay that demonstrated superior scholarly depth by integrating Baudrillard and the Oracle's determinism. Its child explanation used more imaginative and relatable language than GPT, fully satisfying both halves of the prompt. Prompt: "I'm planning a 3-day trip to Boston with two kids under 10. Give me a simple itinerary that balances history, fun, and budget-friendly meals." GPT-5 crafted a highly-structured plan that prioritized kid engagement, practical tips and meal picks. Claude offered a plan with a strong budget focus with concise highlights but less of a focus on logistics. Winner: GPT-5 wins for delivering a more practical, child-centered itinerary with superior attention to logistics, proximity and genuinely budget-friendly meal choices. Prompt: "Plan a balanced, gluten-free, 3-day meal plan for $50, and include a shopping list that works for a person with only a microwave." GPT delivered a superior response that prioritized budget and microwave adaptation with zero cooking created an unrealistic plan, assuming sweet potatoes cook evenly in the microwave and went over budget. Winner: GPT-5 wins for delivering the best response for a truly microwave-reliant, budget-accurate with clear gluten-free safeguards. Prompt: "My best friend just canceled plans for the third time. Write me a text that's understanding but still sets boundaries." GPT-5 crafted a concise and clear text message that felt slightly expertly balanced empathy with Claude wins for crafting a text that masterfully combines emotional intelligence with boundary-setting, while offering constructive paths forward. Its response feels authentically human and preserves the friendship's warmth while addressing the pattern. Prompt:"Give me 10 unique podcast episode ideas about the future of AI, making sure at least half could appeal to people who aren't tech experts." GPT-5 offered creative, engaging ideas that tapped into pop culture and personal experiences for a balanced and interactive drafted strong ethical ideas but less engaging hooks. It lacked a strong storytelling GPT-5 wins by creating podcast ideas that are more inviting for non-experts, structurally clearer with labeled sections and creatively formatted. In the end, ChatGPT-5 and Claude each had standout moments and this challenge was extremely close. GPT-5 excelled in practical, real-world tasks and creative flair, while Claude consistently impressed in emotional intelligence, structured reasoning and philosophical depth. Choosing between them isn't a matter of one being universally better, but rather about matching the model to the task. I suggest familiarizing yourself with all the big chatbots and exploring which features work best for you. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
