A Chicago-based massage therapist is accusing Stan Lee of sexual assault.
Maria Carballo filed a complaint against the Marvel comics creator and his assistant, Mac Anderson. The complaint contains five counts, including assault, battery, violation of the Illinois Gender Violence Act, emotional distress and civil conspiracy.
Carballo claims that she was hired on April 21-23 to complete two massages on Lee in his room at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. While she was giving him the massage, she alleges that the 95-year-old began to fondle himself. After he began moaning and rubbing his quadriceps, Carballo left the session early.
The masseuse said he apologized and requested another massage. But according to the lawsuit, within an hour he began his shenanigans again and Carballo reverted to massaging him with her feet due to discomfort. Then he allegedly moved her feet to his genitals and she promptly exited.
The victim issued the following statement:
For a long time, I was afraid to ask anyone to help me hold Mr. Lee accountable for how he treated me. He is rich and famous. I am not. After seeing other women fight to be treated with dignity and respect, I decided, me too. I am still nervous and afraid, but not as much as I was before because I have other people helping me.