As we discussed on Monday, it seems like Asia Argento paid a very young man for his silence after he accused her of raping him when he was just 17 years old. One of the reasons why this particular situation made so much news is because Argento was one of the first women to go on the record about what Harvey Weinstein did to her – she was victimized by Weinstein, and then years later she victimized a underage boy in a shockingly similar way. Not to belabor this point, but of course sh-tty people can be victims of a heinous sexual assault. Just as victims of a sexual assault can sometimes go on to victimize other people in heinous ways. Anyway, Argento let the New York Times’ story fester for about 36 hours before she released a statement. Her statement is… nonsensical. To me.
I strongly deny and oppose the contents of the New York Times article dated 20 August 2018, as circulated also in national and international news. I am deeply shocked and hurt by having read news that is absolutely false. I have never had any sexual relationship with Bennett.
I was linked to him during several years by friendship only, which ended when, subsequent to my exposure in the Weinstein case, Bennett — who was then undergoing severe economic problems and who had previously undertaken legal actions against his own family requesting millions in damages — unexpectedly made an exorbitant request of money from me. Bennett knew my boyfriend, Anthony Bourdain, was a man of great perceived wealth and had his own reputation as a beloved public figure to protect.
Antony [sic] insisted the matter be handled privately and this was also what Bennett wanted. Anthony was afraid of the possible negative publicity that such person, whom he considered dangerous, could have brought upon us. We decided to deal compassionately with Bennett’s demand for help and give it to him. Anthony personally undertook to help Bennett economically, upon the condition that we would no longer suffer any further intrusions in our life.
This is, therefore, the umpteenth development of a sequence of events that brings me great sadness and that constitutes a long-standing persecution. I have therefore no other choice but to oppose such false allegations and will assume in the short term all necessary initiatives for my protection before all competent venues.
Argento’s story seems to be that a young acquaintance, someone whom she merely knew from work and in social situations, suddenly made a demand – a threat of some kind of extortion – of “an exorbitant request of money” from her. And instead of going to the police or consulting a lawyer or simply refusing to pay (because, again, this was just a work acquaintance/social friend in her version of the story), she then convinces Anthony Bourdain to pay the guy off? And it was Bourdain’s idea because he didn’t want the scandal? Da faq?
Incidentally, TMZ claims to have seen the photo of Jimmy Bennett and Argento in 2013, when he was just 17 and she assaulted him. TMZ has also seen texts between Argento and Bourdain where they discussed the payout. Just reading the texts, it seems like Bourdain was choosing to trust whatever story Argento told him about Bennett, and she seemed to be working Bourdain over specifically so he would pay out to her victim. I don’t know anything for sure, obviously. But I do know that it certainly feels like Argento is laying this situation at the feet of a dead man who can’t contradict her story.
…And TMZ just published the photo of Argento and Bennett. Go here to see.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
To me, her text messages say guilty. She too needs to be brought up on charges
Quick question on that photo, as the victim is under the age of consent in California where this took place does that make it child pron and can she be charged for that too?
No legal expert disclaimer.
The picture doesnt seem to be sexual only in the way whats implied, that it was taken after the act. That itself would very likely not be illegal. The act would be though.
TMZ says its one of four pictures so we obviously dont know whats on the others.
It has to be significantly sexualized to fall under child porn, so I’m not sure that quite makes it. Any contact between them is statutory rape at the least (even with consent), and outright sexual assault if he refused consent at all.
But ugh, I wasn’t expecting that when I clicked. Time to scrub myself off.
It does seem from the text messages that they had some kind of a sexual relationship. So if Asia is lying about that in her statement, then who will believe the rest of it? Not me
I find it particularly heinous that she sold it to Bourdain as some kind of assault on her. She made herself a victim and reading the messages revealed, sold him a story in which she was persecuted for no reason.
It’s just….so insensitive to victim, her statement and those claims. And really really cruel to Bourdain’s memory who just got dragged into this story and narrative-and he is dead and can’t give his own perspective and opinion on all of this. I find it especially wrong considering how private Bourdain was.
I just….she was his girlfriend for a year. The man has a child, had a long-time partner ad the narrative around him is all from her, about her after his death. Like, I can believe he was very important to you (although, considering her actions, I personally doubt it, but that isn’t fair of me), but it’s not your place to tell us how many times he has been to the mental health proffessional, what he thought of it and how your rs looked like-all only from your point of view and all the facts claimed only by you. IDK, it all seems so gross and inappropriate of her aside from all this, this is whole oher level of disgusting).
“It wasn’t raped (sic) but I was frozen. He was on top of me. After he told me I had been his sexual fantasy since he was 12.”
Here’s her quote blaming the 17 yr old.
She’s passing guilt to her victim and blaming her late bf for her own actions. No matter AB’s role in this. She is accountable for her actions and what happens after that. She chose her actions. And now she chose to lat blame st a dead man’s feet. Horrible.
Hi FLORC,
Check your twitter account, please!
Asia is a heinous person. To blame an underaged teen and a dead boyfriend is barbaric. I hope that the police bring charges against her.
I hope that we are able to separate two cases. She’s a victim and a predator. She needs to get justice for being a victim and to pay the price for being predator.
It does explain why Toni lost his money though…
I believe Jimmy and I believe Asia is an abuser who should be brought to justice. I am also suspicious that Weinstein’s fingerprints are on this somehow. The photos of them in bed were on Jimmy’s Instagram account and were taken down very recently, as I think was noted in the NYT article. Since Weinstein hires ex-Mossad agents to harass and threaten his victims, I see no reason why he would not harass, threaten or entice the victims of his enemies. I hope Jimmy isn’t also a victim of Weinstein’s abuse.
Who cares if it was Weinstein that exposed her? She is STILL a rapist. Women can be rapists too. Don’t make excuses for her.
Question: how did Tmz get hold of the texts?
Edit:
Ok, sorry, I misread earlier and I thought the exchange was between Anthony and Asia. So some of Asia’s friends probably sold her out.
I’m thinking someone from Bourdain’s side leaked it.
I think so too. I cant find it now but yesterday a comment on another site said the NY TImes journalist is more at home in culinary world and not this kind of reporting. If thats true its likely it came from that side.
What else could they have done? I can imagine the anger of Bourdain’s friends and family when she tried to implicate that he supported her in all of this while knowing the truth. The text messages show she lied to him about the nature of the demand, meeting and the assault: she portrayed it to him as sexual assault on her.
Bingo @k2squared
I read that text exchange and actually heard Bourdain in my head. The use of language – a tad erudite, yet cryptic. That was totally him.
Wow…..way to throw your dead boyfriend under the bus.
I’m speechless.
Ugh, exactly! I might have been willing to give her the benefit-of-the-doubt, but not now. And especially not after seeing that photo.
+1
She’s digging herself into a deep hole, can’t believe she’s bringing her dead boyfriend into it. His family must be livid
Yes. Especially since Bourdain was not a ruch man, and the $380K that he paid out to protect Asia from the truth was about HALF of his cash. Looking at it that way, Argento took that from Bourdain’s young daughter.
And according to reports, Asia first worked with this kid since he was SEVEN years old. That fact makes it SO much worse. He was seven years old and she was 27 when they first worked together.
Ten years later — when he is still a minor and she is 37 — she has illegal sex with him.
Ugh.
This makes me v v sad. I am heartbroken for Bourdain. He loved this vile creature and she used him & possibly tossed him out once she no longer needed him.
Don’t feel too bad for Bourdain. There’s still more to come about him.
She’s not the only hypocrite here.
Agreed! Poor Bourdain and his family. Geez, this woman is vile!
Worst mistake he ever made was becoming involved with her.
Bourdain deserved better!
I love Bourdain and he always seemed to have a good b.s. detector so I was always surprised that he had taken up with Argento, who skeeved me out from her involvement in the skeezy JT Leroy nonsense. But I guess it is true, the heart doesn’t know from logic.
Her throwing this poor man under the bus when he’s not around to defend himself is gross.
I wonder if she had anything to do with his suicide.
Jeez, I had to google that JT Leroy story. What a skeezy situation!
I am barely containing my anger as I learn more about this. If I wasn’t already disgusted by her actions, this would’ve sent me over the edge. She is cancelled just as much so as Weinstein, Hardwick, et al.
Tony, you never deserved this treatment. Gah. My heart.
Those were my thoughts exactly – geez – he’s dead and obviously cannot refute anything she says now.
Right. How dare she. There’s something about this woman, other than her raping a teenager. She seems dangerous, and I can’t explain it. She gives me the skeevies.
@Nancy-
I completely agree, i just get a sinister feeling whenever I look at a photograph of her, it’s weird.
I still can’t believe that AB helped her in such an enormous way and she pays him back by throwing him under the bus like this. Disgusting woman. Oh, and blaming the 17 year old victim?!? That’s evil.
She always has given me the skeeves. Just days after the photos of her kissing another man in public on a sidewalk appeared in the tabs (the guy is now reportedly her official boyfriend), Bourdain hanged himself. He had given her his trust and what reportedly was half his cash, and she publicly hurt and humiliated him.
This is a mess- I looked throughout Asia’s Instagram yesterday and it’s a clusterf**k. So messy. And, yes, I think she did rape this young men but she is also one of Weinstein’s victims which doesn’t dismiss what she did. Oh boy. And bringing her r gently deceased boyfriend into this when he cannot defend himself/give his version of events isn’t great in my opinion.
Wow, she’s disgusting.
Damn right, blaming this whole mess on a dead man whom she said she loved and who stood up for her repeatedly….
She wants to be “among the 90‰ of the world who doesn’t care about this sh*t…”
You mean people who don’t support victims of sexual assault and harassment, Asia? The opposite side of the movement of which you appointed yourself a face?!?!?
Heinous.
Congratulations! She just beat Kevin Spacey in the race for the worst non apology in the wake of #metoo.
Yes, in one badly-written statement (who is advising her?!) she threw both her victim and her recently deceased ex-boyfriend under the bus. Classy.
She is a vile human. The use of Anthony Bourdain in this shitty mess she made broke my heart all over again, just like when he passed.
So, the only times when we’re supposed to believe the victim is when it is her or Rose McGowan, I guess.
And such a classy move – when all else fails, blame your dead boyfriend for everything.
Rose tweeted
None of us know the truth of the situation and I’m sure more will be revealed. Be gentle.
— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) August 20, 2018
She deleted that now.
Rosanna Arquette called it “a set up”. Also deleted now.
Wow, calling them hypocrites only scratches the surface. For Rose McGowan to tweet that, after she has gone on a war path after any and everybody who has uttered the same sentiment of waiting to get more info, it actually makes me sick.
So they went along with blackmail to avoid a story that they could’ve disavowed publicly or legally? Not buying it..
My guess is Anthony’s family, maybe his ex wife who is looking after his legacy and estate for their daughter leaked those texts, to show a) Clearly Anthony, if that’s him in the text msg (and boy does it sound like him), was in the dark about it all and asks her ‘what’s up with the pic of you in bed with him?’ He goes on to say that pictures make people assume things, implying she’s in a bind. b) Asia admits in the same exchange to having sex with the kid. She doesn’t claim he raped her either.
They paid him off because it was true. Asia was telling Tony she was a bad ass and didn’t fear him(the kid) saying to the other texter (anthony) Google me, I’m no Puritan. Then claiming she could give everything up to live in the rainforest or some such shite.
It’s sick, she’s putting it on Bourdain. All she had to say was he wanted to help me bec he knew I fcked up and am fckd up and he loved me- so he paid the kid what he wanted.
Anthony was so brilliant and sensitive – I’m sure the hypocrisy, which he hated in others, really wounded him.
He was apparently estranged from his ex-wife and I read on another site that his brother has his personal effects, inc his phone so the leak is likely to have come from that quarter. i also read that she got Bourdain’s long term producer fired as she didn’t like him and the he spent a lot of money on her and her children.
Keep digging that hole Argento, you are guilty and blaming a man who can’t defend himself is low, really low. Was reading last night that many people think Bourdain’s friends/family leaked it to the press as it was sent to a restaurant journo – his estranged wife and many of his friends HATED Argento. Many people also believed she played a part in his suicide that this and her crazy/stalker like behaviour in the days leading up to his death drove him over the edge. From what i’ve read he suffered from depression and was not in a good place at the time.
I have Italian friends and they ALL say that in Italy she is well known for being a crazy attention seeking user.
I feel most for the poor kid Jimmy, he’s been screwed over by adults most of his life – his stage parents spent all his money and apparently had kicked him out of the family home when the incident with Argento happened.
EDIT: Yes that photo looks like it was taken just after sex, its written all over her face.
She was also caught in photos with another man a few days before Tony killed himself. If she and Tony had broken up, that’s not how she portrayed it on her social media after his death. She made it seem like they were very much together. If she was cheating on him when he died, I imagine his family would hate her.
Victims don’t have to be prefect, it’s true. But this woman seems to be objectively terrible.
That was my first concern when I heard he died…the photo she posted a day or two before. It’s not a stretch to think he may have sudden clarity about her and it fell on him emotionally during a rough patch he was having.
I didn’t like her and didn’t get why he liked her. This is tragic.
I have a family member from Italy as well, and he says Argento’s reputation is horrible.
I am from Italy and she is always been obnoxious, self-entitled and vile. She might have been exploited/abused as a child too but that doesn’t excuse her behaviour in any way (as I am a DV survivor too and I never abused anyone!).
Unfortunately this story (like Amber Heard beating up her girlfriend) might make Weinstein seem more innocent than it should.
Blaming your dead boyfriend for the rape YOU committed is a new one. Well played, Asia.
She blamed her victim.
She blamed her deceased bf for why he was paid off and she stayed silent.
She justified her manipulation and assault of a teenage boy because… she was flattered of his affection and frozen in the moment… but how many moments were there?
I can’t with her.
The cycle of abuse is a hideous thing…especially when you won’t take responsibility for your own actions.
Sociopath.
This is no excuse for her behavior, I have always found her a bit off and would be very surprised if Asia was not sexually abused as a child. She started acting in her father films at around 7 yo? and seemed to have been heavily sexualised from then, some of those images are actually off putting.
I remember some people here getting very upset whenever anyone would mention that after Harvey allegedly raped her she went on to date and have consensual sex with him for years after .IMO not that it means she wasn’t raped but speaks to her pysche of being accustomed to being groomed/abused and her whole mental/emotional state
Nonetheless, What she did to that boy was wrong and she needs to own it
@notthisagain
+1
Best take on this entire thing.
Yes – it reminds me of Lindsay Lohan as well – someone who was obviously heavily sexualized at a very young age, and who then engaged in destructive behaviour as an adult.
Yes, she starred in her father’s films, I saw one and I couldn’t keep watching after a while, in the films she is naked, raped and tortured horribly and all that directed by her father. It’s gross, she is gross and all this happening makes me want to vomit
Well said.
Oh, the classic “blame the dead chef. ” Oldest trick in the book!
*clapping*
I”m a big fan of Tony Bourdain. I watch his shows often on Netflix and have read his books. The show he did in Rome where he met Argento is creepy. I feel bad for his daughter having to eventually read all this if she hasn’t already heard it all about her father.
Geeze! I just remembered, she has children too. what a mess
Felt the same way when I watched the Rome episode. She has a really dark energy.
That episode was so unlike the others
Whoa! I watched that episode too but before his death I didn’t know about her but when I watched her in the Rome’s special I kept thinking: That woman is very strange. She gave me very bad vibes which now I can confirm.
She seems very troubled and this is super messy. What annoys me the most is her blaming her dead bf and the obvious lying! She seems to like being the victim in all situations.
In my country a 17-year-old being intimate with an adult is not illegal, so that doesn‘t trouble me. This law is way too strict in my opinion, but when you are in a foreign country you have to respect their laws!
Lots of stuff isnt illegal. If he was of age it would still be creepy and immoral.
For most people the most disturbing fact was that she groomed him – she’s known him since he was 7 or 9 years old and often referred to herself as his mother and he her son. She clearly set herself up as a motherly figure in his live and then took advantage.
Yes, that’s the issue here. I’m in Texas and the age of consent is 17, but they have a history where it appears to be a mother/son dynamic with grooming from her. Also, California law states 18 is the age of consent so there’s the mix of breaking the law and grooming a victim.
Digital
This all day long…
This isn’t a woman having a relationship with a 17yo. It’s insidious in all fronts.
Look, the fact that she knew him from when he was 7 (and played victim of molestation and Argento his mother), that she was his acting coach on sets during his teenage years all point to grooming. Disgusting.
To me, a 17 year old is still a child. Consnsual relations between two 17 year olds: ok. Between 17 and 20 years old: in my country, ok. Betweem 17 and 36 year old: unishable by law. And it should be.
When I was 17, I was not a child. I lived on my own and was going to college(born early in the year), but I’m just speaking for myself. It seems to me like this kid jimmy was groomed for just this thing by her, and her playing the victim just reinforces it. I sincerely hope she is charged, and the kid gets the help he needs. And I really hope she stops bringing up Anthony Bourdain, so unfair to his family and young daughter
I have a problem with calling 17-year-olds “children”. They are at max one year apart from becoming legal, adults. Do they go from child to adult in a day (their birthday)? Like..poof?! Yes, anyone over 20 should not take advantage of a minor but still, they are not children anymore. They are adolescents. They are allowed to drive cars in the US. Or join the armed forces.
@geekychick: Agree with you completely.
I have an 18 year old. Legal adult. She’s a child
I’m wondering if this is a pattern of hers and if other young men (actually, boys) will come forward?
Also, that whole explanation makes very little sense. Why wouldn’t they have gotten a lawyer involved? Who just gives money to a blackmailer for nothing? She threw her victim and her dead boyfriend under the bus.
Ugh, this just keeps getting worse and worse
OMG blaming her dead boyfriend. Disgusting
She’s not only blaming Bourdain, she’s blaming the victim. Saying he needed money and he even sued relatives, so look how awful he is!
She’s pulling Weinstein level tactics. This woman is disgusting and I truly hope the State of California and the police look into the matter.
If the text messages are real, they completely prove her statement is duplicitous at best: Bourdain was clearly not that concerned about the image (“Just tell him to f*ck himself”). Also, she writes that she was “frozen under him”. If it was true, she’d be the victim. So why not use THAT version for her statement, instead of placing the blame on those who cannot speak anymore?
Good point, those text messages coupled with the photo clearly show there was a sexual relationship. And, given Bourdain didn’t seem too concerned, it was probably her that was pushing for a settlement. She is lying through her teeth in that statement.
But that is the most disgusting part: she intentionaly portrayed herself as a victim to Bourdain! How sick and twisted you have to be to victimize your victim twice?!?!
I have a lot of questions, but why didn’t she deny the story when it first reported? She had to know it was coming out.
One of the things I noticed in TMZ’s summary of the text messages is that Asia seems to intimate to Bourdain that Bennet was the aggressor in the encounter. That she he was the sexual assaulter. She denied it first, then sort of admitted to an encounter saying she froze up while he was on top of her. This is a level of psychopathy. She continually used her victimization to manipulate Bourdain to get him to pay her hush money. I believe his family leaked the text messages to shed some light on this.
Jesus Christ. I hope this unfolds quickly, because honestly what she has to say -reeks-. This is just unbelievably low, but at least it seems that people are calling her on her shit.
I wonder whatever Anthony saw in her? Every time I see photos of her she always looks like a hot mess. My gosh, how low can she go? Blaming her dead boyfriend and the victim for all of this. It’s more likely that she groomed the boy which is sick and disgusting on her part and when done with the novelty conveniently forgot about him. Sicko! Wish she’d go away and get some proper help but I think she’s a narcissist and won’t do that.
She needs to be brought up on charges. Her getting help is the least of my concerns.
I think it was interesting that she said I never had a “sexual relationship” with him as opposed to I never had any sexual contact with him.I know a guy(jerk) who said that.But then when I saw a sex tape he said, “I didn’t have a sexual relationship with her, we just had sex a couple of times”.
Didn’t Bill Clinton say the same thing? I’m seeing a pattern…
Poor Bourdain. He met a real sick twist with this one.
Argento becomes more odious by the minute. Denying any wrongdoing, placing the payout blame on a dead man and then almost accusing her victim of being the rapist. “I just froze”.
Shame on the women defending this predatory pig and shame on the rest of the Hollywood acting elite for their silence.
Fact, there are not solely female victims of sexual assault. Men are also not the only sexual predators of minors.
This has got to be one of the worst stories I’ve read recently here. I am just sick for the victim and Bourdain. Trying to keep an open mind, but I am disgusted with her.
Even though I thought it was obvious she cheated on him, I didn’t blame her for Bourdain’s suicide. I thought she was very low when she had Rose strongly imply they had an open relationship…I do not believe they did. Not the way it went down. With the pap pics, and the unfollowing on instagram and twitter that day, etc. But I feel that if you cheat on someone and they commit suicide, that’s just not a proportional response and it is not your fault.
However…this is looking a lot more twisted and insidious than a case of cheating.
Yes, it looks like she manipulated and used him and then cheated on him. For someone who was vulnerable, that could have been just devastating.
Do you remember the story that Asia posted on her Instagram the night before AB passed away? She took it down after it was found out he’d died. It was a photo of Asia with a shirt on that said something like “F you” and she captioned the photo “you know who you are.” I know I’m not remembering exactly what it said but that’s the idea. I’m now wondering who that was for, was it for AB?
I can’t imagine how his family feels. I knew there was more to his death, but I could never imagine something like this. It’s so sad what Asia put him through. I hope she goes to jail.
I was so saddened to learn of Anthony Bourdain’s death but this just adds a whole new level of toxicity to it. She is throwing her dead boyfriend under the bus; this story can never be corroborated as Bourdain is no longer here…..She is also seemingly blaming the victim in those text messages….all in all just disgusting as most people have commented. It is sad and tragic she was one of the first faces to accuse Harvey Weinstein and of the #metoo movement.
From her statement re the NYT: “I have never had any sexual relationship with Bennett.”
From her own text to a friend, as screenshot in the Daily Mail:
“I had sex with him it felt weird. I didn’t know he was a minor until the shakedown letter.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6086009/Asia-Argento-admits-DID-sex-17-year-old-Jimmy-Bennett-texts.html
I totally think she was lying in that text to her friend when she said she didn’t even know he was a minor until after the shakedown letter. She’s known him since he was 7.
All of this is gross. She’s gross. She is a pathological liar and manipulator who doesn’t care who she hurts. I hope she gets prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Harvey Weinstein is a disgusting man who preyed upon many women, but her case against him will go nowhere. I don’t believe a word of her claims against him, especially given that she continued a sexual relationship for years after he assaulted her. The lies and manipulations she being exposed for now make it completely plausible that continued that sexual relationship with him because she thought it would benefit her. The fact that she is flagrantly lying about her sexual relationship with this boy proves that she will lie about anything serve her own interest. She is a horrible person. I hope she will remove herself from the #metoo movement permanently or that #metoo will cast her aside. She doesn’t care about the movement, she cares about herself. She is discrediting something that is so vital and important by just being associated with it. This is sickening.
Some victims do stay with their abusers afterward though. That’s not enough to convince me that Weinstein did nothing to her. It’s just a case of one abuser abusing another. But I agree that she’s very bad for the #MeToo movement.
This is a serious matter for #metoo. She was one of Ronan Farrow’s chief sources, and he apparently believed what she said. He has yet to comment on twitter.
Her statements about Bourdain and her (other) victim are unconscionable.
This is a problem for me. I will speak for myself on this-I’ve been assaulted and I can smell abuse of power in a relationship from a mile away. There’s is no way she couldn’t have known she was doing this. The fact that she knew him as a child and then broke that trust is unconscionable. And to add insult to injury, you’re going to blame your deceased boyfriend who cannot speak for himself??!!?? No. Hell. No.
“brought upon us” – what us? I thought she was too free to be tied to a single man….AB wasn’t at the hotel where the assault took place – why would he fear backlash?
She’s a spoiled, rich girl (now woman) who has a famous father (in Italy) and thinks she edgy (hideous tattoo) and original. I hate that she has appointed herself as his posthumous spokesperson. Keep his name out of your mouth, b, especially when you’re using it to try and cover-up your crimes.
What a horrible person.
What a mess. According to Asia:
– She didn’t have sex with him.
– She had sex with him.
– She didn’t know he was a minor.
– He practically raped her!
– He was obsessed and harassing her.
– When she was 17, she was with an older man so it’s ok.
– She is moving to the Amazon where people don’t care about power and age imbalances during sex.
– He initially asked for several million as he was in financial strife.
– Anthony paid him several hundred thousand out of compassion but also because he thought he was dangerous but also because he didn’t want negative media attention.
– He also sued his parents y’all.
Between the lines: I fucked up big time but I can’t admit it because it’s statutory rape and I’ll go to jail so I will shift the blame to a world beloved dead hero who can’t correct me or defend himself.
Yep that’s what’s going on here.
You said it all, SD. This woman is despicable.
Not knowing he was a minor is such BS!!
She was his DIRECTOR!
She knew him for YEARS!
Asia knows his EXACT age.
He trusted her and she threw him off a cliff. It is so obvious. The poor kid looks totally derailed right now. A rapist is a rapist is a rapist.
She’s vile. She gets not one ounce of sympathy from me. She’s an irresponsible attention/thrill seeking narcissist who doesn’t take responsibility for her any of her reckless actions. Instead, she’s quick to point her finger at anyone but herself, including her dead boyfriend!
She is one sick person.
I’m sad for his family and child having his name dragged through this.
Ugh Anthony Bourdain just passed away and she’s dragging his name through the mud, implicating him in all this when we don’t even know how much he knew or what he knew. Using a dead man to try to cover up her actions, someone who can’t defend himself is just the lowest of the low. It saddens me to know this is the type of woman Bourdain chose to spend his last year of life with. I can’t imagine what his family is feeling right now.
I hope to god this isn’t what made Bourdain feel hopeless, trapped and without another choice. Nooooo 😢
Wow, what the heck was going on with Anthony Bourdain that he bought all this crap from her???
Love, I imagine. It really is blind.
I can’t help but think Eric, the man who found AB passed away, will move hell, heaven, and high water to expose what he knows. RIP 🙁
I’ve also been wondering if Eric Rippert was one the sources for the NYT. He and Bourdain were best friends apparently.
Knowing those photos even exist, why would she make a statement denying it ever happened? That wasn’t clever.
The only good thing I wish her is that I hope she didnt pay professionals to do her PR in this. Any random person on the street could have handled this better.
I hope that every single good friend of Tony Bourdain speak out with everything they know to expose this vile woman. FFS! Wicked, evil, manipulating, vile cow!
Bourdain who seemed to really care about her, HOW could he have been so under her spell? Friends did say he was “besotted” with her…she must have used every trick she knew to draw him in. I hate her and this behaviour of grooming the child is sickening. I hope she gets jail time.
Yeah. My heart sank when, after he died, I read a quote from a source saying he was ‘crazy in love’ with her, emphasis crazy. I can’t say I’m surprised about all of this.
She sure does seem to be a piece of work, but can we please quit with the mysoginistic ‘what tricks did she use, what could such a great man/ pure snowflake see in her etc’ wrt to her and Bourdain? I think what he saw in her is pretty simple – she’s beautiful, and was much younger than him. I’m sure he related to her on other levels as well, but really, he wouldn’t be the first one, man or woman, to choose with his nether regions (and I do mean the word ‘choose’).
She appears to have treated him rather horribly, and sadly continues to do so after his death, but I don’t think any ‘tricks’ were involved in turning his head.
How would she not know this kid’s age? She has known him since he was practically a toddler, sent loving, aching messages, but she didn’t know his birthday? As if she wasn’t going to send a gift for his 18th? Bizzarro, vile, messed up woman. I could believe being attaked by a younger person, but 100% of the evidence shows she was horny af and * wanted to have sex with a minor. * She lied to, she manipulated, and she humiliated others. I utterly dismissed those blaming her for Boudain’s suicide initially, but now? Kinda hard to ignore the fact that, although he was perpetually suicidal his entire career, he killed himself right after all kinds of shit started coming to light. Realizing that he had been taken in by this woman, that he had paid off a victim (himself, then, accidentally becoming like Weinstein) rather than champion his voice as part of the #MeToo movement, that she was cheating on him publicly after all of this… I think I would have killed myself, too. The devastation would have been overwhelming. Regardless of *why* AB killed himself, there is no way this shit didn’t completely ruin his life and prime him for that action. Horrid legacy.
I think that could’ve destroyed anybody’s mental state: Unknowingly, paying off a rape victim.
Oh, she knew his age, of that I am certain. She just didn’t realize he’d be considered a minor in California, where this event took place. THAT is the little fact she overlooked.
@Aren It would have done for me.
@Hoot, great point! I realized that just a minute ago when I was reading her texts. 80 page dossier, tons of talk about distancing herself from the payout, emphasizing that the age of consent where she lives is 16 or whatevrr the hell. She is a horrid, abusive piece of trash.
Yes, in Europe the legal age of consent for all acts is between 14 and 18. She knew his age she just didn’t think he was underage. In Italy its 14.
Not knowing that the other party is under the legal age of consent is NOT a defence nor an excuse.
Yesterday it was reported Asia sent the texts to TMZ to blame Bourdain for paying the victim. Now people are saying the texts were leaked by Bourdain’s friends, I’m confused, are they talking about the same texts?
I don’t want to go look because it’s TMZ, so.
I think people are saying that Boudain’s friends/family are the ones who originally leaked the story to the NYT complete with photo’s. As part of the payoff Argento was given the originals of the photo’s and as it was done via Boudain’s lawyer, his family would have access to that information as well. As a follow up the original story she has probably leaked the texts in a stupid attempt to cover her ass and make herself out to the be victim and blame a dead man for what she did.
All I will say regarding this situation, which is…SO VERY ASIA ARGENTO…so VERY…VERY…ASIA AGENTO…NONE of it is surprising to me…NONE OF IT….
The two people I feel for in this “so very ASIA situation” is that young man, who was exploited from the time he was a child until he was a teen…and I feel for is Anthony…when I FIRST saw that he had aligned himself with Asia…I told my guy…”LAWD…HAVE MERCY…he is in for a BUMPY RIDE”…
And I was right…
But she did have a lawyer involved! And when they agreed on a settlement that lawyer said something to the effect of “I hope nothing like this ever happens to you again” (in the NYT story). And IT DOESN’T MATTER if you were his fantasy… even if he wanted it IT WAS STILL ILLEGAL.
Her strategy reminds me so much of T—p’s. (Yeah that name is now a profanity to me.) The denials, the victim-blaming, the payoffs, the evidence that clearly shows her lies. I am nauseous.
How long has it been since she committed the crime?
If it’s still in the statute of limitations she could be arrested. No way she would admit to it.
And if that wasn’t her only time her admitting to this in anyway could help another victim prosecute
I believe the statue of limitations has passed, I read that this morning. I don’t think she will face criminal charges for this but who knows what else could happen. I feel badly for Bourdain’s family/daughter in all of this…..his name is getting thrown under the bus and he can’t defend himself!!
Yes. And reportedly what he paid out to protect Argento was about HALF of all the cash he had.
Bordain was killed for nothing as a warning to her stop talking about Weinstein. Off course this will not stop Weinstein case nor revive Argento career. Bordain should not have involved himself in this fight between wieinstrein and argento
He wasn’t killed, he took his own life, huge difference, and you have no idea why. Stop the ignorant assumptions, SMH.
Although I’m sorry for what she went through with HW, I find this woman despicable. Blaming her victim, a boy she’d know since he was 7, called him her “son”, and groomed him for years. And then, at the very least, insinuating that AB paid the boy off for his own reasons that she had nothing to do with. Even if AB was able to defend himself, this accusation is would be hurtful, but is made even worse by the fact that Anthony is no longer with us. He obviously had demons and issues no one knew about and for him to now be slandered by someone who supposedly loved him is just cruel.
So angry with her on so many levels. Here is a quote from her nasty, middle finger up, fists in the air Instagram. Karma is a bitch.
40,598 likes
asiaargentoFor nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known and brought to light #TruthWillPrevail
She is disgusting. She was disgusting before this all came to light but now she is even more so. Appalling woman and how cowardly to pin this on a dead boyfriend.
It would have been better for her to have admitted, I slept with him but didn’t know he was a minor. (Who knows if that’s true but sounds like she wouldn’t have cared regardless especially as she mentions being with a 33 year old bf at only 17 “for years” etc…) Plenty of grown men sleep with just barely 18 year olds and get passes. Depending on the state in the US you even get a pass for sleeping with a newly 17 year old . (James Franco, etc.)
IF he really has been sending her nudes for years and really did try to get money out of his family before trying to get money from her, then I can see how this might be less gross of her than I thought.
However the fact she lies and says she never slept with him in her official statement makes me just wonder at the veracity of all
of it. Plus she shouldn’t have mentioned Bourdain at all.
I dislike her intensely. I hope Bourdain didn’t kill himself over her 😢😢😢
One of AB’s last shows takes place in Florence and Little Miss Sunshine directed it. CNN plans to show the last season of Parts Unknown within the next few months. I don’t know how she can live with herself and think she knows a lot more than she’s saying. About a lot of things. She’s a witch.
I’ve known of her for a long time. She has always seemed dark and sinister to me. The way she looked, the tattoos, her energy was dark and wrong.
When I found out she was involved with Anthony Bourdain I thought it was bad news for Anthony. Perhaps she seemed different and original to him at first. In the end, I feel had he gotten involved with someone more “normal”, he would still be here. I’m not saying I’m blaming her for his suicide. I’m saying that both of their energies together had too much darkness and drama.
She’s very immature.
She’s very immature. Poor T.