HOLLYWOOD—Eight former child actors alleged that they were sexually harassed by Hollywood producer Gary Goddard, the Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday, December 20.
This is not the first time Goddard has been accused of sexual impropriety. In November, “ER” actor Anthony Edwards accused Goddard of molesting him when he was a child. In addition to Edwards, actors Mark Driscoll, Linus Huffman, and Bret Nighman were revealed as accusers by the Los Angeles Times.The four others remain anonymous.
Goddard, a renowned director and financier of theatrical productions, developed a reputation in the 1970s as a cultivator of child actor talent. The boys he mentored were collectively known as the “Goddardites” and were frequent guests at Goddard’s home in Santa Barbara. It was during this time that Goddard’s accusers allege he took sexual advantage of them, including incidents such as molestation.
Driscoll alleges that Goddard sexually assaulted him over the course of three years, adding that whenever Goddard would visit, Driscoll would “have to experience things [he] didn’t want to,” the Los Angeles Times reported. Nighman asserts that Goddard repeatedly attempted to molest him throughout his teens. Goddard has denied all the accusations. He has since taken a leave from his company in the midst of the accusations. The Chief Operating Officer for Goddard Group, Barry Kemper indicated in a press release on November 28, Goddard’s departure from the company will “allow the company and its employees to continue their projects undistracted by recent allegations made against him.”
Goddard is primarily known as the director of the 1987 film “Masters of the Universe,” which although being a box office failure, helped to jumpstart the acting careers of Edwards and Eric Stoltz.
