Gary Goddard is facing new allegations of sexual harassment from alleged victims who were former child stars. The victims claimed that the Broadway producer used mentoring to abuse them in their teens.
Fondling and touching were reportedly some of the ways that Goddard abused his protégés and theater actors. Former child stars Mark Driscoll, Bret Nighman, and Linus Huffman recalled their experience of unwanted sexual advances from the Hollywood producer in an interview published on Wednesday.
Nighman alleged that Goddard tried to molest him four times when he was 16. He finally succeeded on one occasion when he rubbed his crotch. Driscoll claimed that Goddard repeatedly sexually abused him over the course of three years. He said he knew that he would have to experience things that he did not want to whenever his mentor visited. Driscoll's classmates said that he informed them of the sexual abuse during a get-together 20 years ago.
Huffman, who starred in Goddard's Oliver! when he was 13, said that Goddard used mentoring to touch him.
"He pulled me aside and put his hands on my legs and went, 'I'm very proud of you,' and was going towards my crotch area," Huffman recalled in a recent interview.
Four other victims shared their story of sexual abuse from Goddard when they were children. One claimed that the mentor molested him during a stop on the Peter Pan tour. He alleged that the producer unzipped his pants and fondled him. The other said that Goddard masturbated him on the way home from Disneyland.
The third victim recalled the "surprise attacks," groping, and "aggressive kissing." He recalled that Goddard fondled him in a dark ride at Disneyland. The fourth alleged that during overnight visits to Florida, the producer made him share his bed and masturbated him.
These new accusations came after actor Anthony Edwards accused Goddard of molesting him in his teens in an online essay he wrote in November. He also collaborated with the new victims' stories and revealed that Goddard also sexually assaulted Scott Drnavich who died in 1977.
However, Sam Singer, Goddard's spokesperson, said that Drnavich had formed a close friendship with his mentor. Singer also denied the allegations of sexual advances.
"If it were possible to prove a negative, Mr. Goddard would debate these 40-year-old allegations. Since that is not possible he will not respond other than to repeat his previous categorical denial," Singer said in a statement.
