Asia Argento's sexual assault accuser Jimmy Bennett will file a police report against the actress.

Asia Argento

Asia Argento

The 42-year-old actress - who previously accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment - hit the headlines last month when it was revealed that she had reached a financial settlement with 22-year-old Jimmy, after he claimed she had performed oral sex on him and engaged in intercourse in 2013 when he was 17 and she was 37.

And now, according to TMZ, Jimmy is said to be heading to the LA County Sherriff's Department in order to file an official sexual assault claim against her and co-operate with the ongoing investigation.

The decision was reportedly influenced by a statement put out by Asia's team on Tuesday (04.09.18), in which they slammed Jimmy's "unfortunate past, stalled acting career ... his desperation to seek money."

His lawyer Gordon Sattro said: "The attack on my client's character has no bearing on the events that took place on May 9, 2013. These are statements that are meant to intimidate, shame and insult my client."

Previously, Jimmy had broken his silence on the incident - which took place in California, where the age of consent is 18 - and said he didn't speak out at the time of the alleged assault because he was "not ready to deal" with the "public narrative".

In a lengthy statement, he said: "I did not initially speak out about my story because I chose to handle it in private with the person who wronged me. My trauma resurfaced as she came out as a victim herself. I have not made a public statement in the past days and hours because I was ashamed and afraid to be part of the public narrative. I was underage when the event took place, and I tried to seek justice in a way that made sense to me at the time because I was not ready to deal with the ramifications of my story becoming public.

"At the time I believed there was still a stigma to being in the situation as a male in our society. I didn't think that people would understand the event that took place from the eyes of a teenage boy. I have had to overcome many adversities in my life, and this is another that I will deal with, in time. I would like to move past this event in my life, and today I choose to move forward, no longer in silence."

Asia has denied the allegations, and claimed that the $380,000 paid to Jimmy had been made by her then-boyfriend Anthony Bourdain - who passed away in June - in order to help him out when he found himself in a tough financial situation, and wasn't to do with a settlement.


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