LOS ANGELES: Filmmaker Brett Ratner has filed a libel lawsuit against a woman who claims he raped her around 12 years ago.
Melanie Kohler took to Facebook more than a week before a Los Angeles Times story broke accusing Ratner of sexual harassments of six women.
According to the Ratner's lawsuit, Kohler's October 20 post stated that he "was a rapist on at least one night in Hollywood about 12 years ago" and "preyed on me as a drunk girl (and) forced himself upon me." Ratner has filed his complaint against Kohler in Hawaii federal court via his attorney, Eric Seitz, denying Kohler's accusations and characterising the social media post as libel.
The suit also claimed that Kohler published them maliciously. The suit seeks general, special and punitive damages for Ratner's alleged emotional distress, anger and anxiety, claiming his professional reputations have been ruined by the allegations.