Comedian Natasha Leggero alleges being sexually harassed by director James Toback in “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” interview

ABC/Lisa Rose(LOS ANGELES) — On Wednesday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, comedienne and Another Period star Natasha Leggero claimed she was sexually harassed by director James Toback when she was just starting her career.

The comic was able to make the otherwise grim tale funny, but noted that “every woman has” been sexually harassed and that it happened so much to her that she’d actually forgotten the incident until she was reminded of it on social media.

Toback, a screenwriter, director and producer who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1991 for Bugsy and directed films including The Pick-up Artist and Two Girls and a Guy, has been accused of sexual harassment by 395 women, which he has denied.

Leggero claimed that as a young actress, she was approached by Toback in New York City. He introduced himself with a number of his own press clippings and then complimented her and told her he wanted her for his next movie, Two Girls and a Guy. One thing, he stipulated: She would need to grow out her armpit hair.

Later, when her armpit hair was four inches long, she claimed, Toback asked to meet her in Central Park and took her to a famous hookup place, called “The Ramble.” Once there, he asked her to show him her armpit hair and then proceeded to pleasure himself against a tree, she alleged.

She didn’t elaborate on how she handled the situation at the time but Leggero did not appear in the film.

The third season of Another Period premieres on Comedy Central on January 23.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on ABC.

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