The Fast and The Furious Director Rob Cohen Responds to Sexual Assault Accusations

Today, disturbing reports went live about Rob Cohen, the director of The Fast and The Furious. Not long ago, one of the director’s collaborators as well as his own daughter alleged Cohen of committing sexual assault and child molestation. Now, Cohen has released a statement addressing the accusations where he describes them as a “web or untruths and lies.”

Cohen reached out to Deadline to share his official denial of the allegations. The comment comes shortly after an article published by the HuffPost reported the filmmaker allegedly assaulted a 28-year-old woman in New York City after meeting about a possible TV pilot.

“I have never belonged to any cigar club, and certainly was never there with ‘Jane’. (Out of restraint, I won’t reveal her real name), Cohen continued as he continued to use the pseudonym assigned to the female victim mentioned in the HuffPost piece.

Continuing, Cohen went on to suggest his daughter’s part in these allegations was due to their long-strained relationship.

“I hope and pray that the thousands of people who know me, worked with me, and/or are simply fair minded people will see that this is an untrue and unsubstantiated story, which is out there due to a hateful daughter and a mother/ ex-wife,” the filmmaker said in reference to his eldest daughter Valkyrie Weather. His statement denying the claims were also substantiated by Cohen’s second ex-wife who described these accusations as horrible and untrue.

According to Deadline, Cohen’s lawyer Martin Singer attempted to squash the original story revealing the accusations, but the piece was published early Saturday morning. The Fast and Furious director is now fighting back against the report which he claims is wholly untrue. You can read Cohen’s statement below to get insight into the allegedly strained relationship which the filmmaker partially blames the original report’s publication on:

This is very painful. I have to live with the fact that my daughter, previously my son, had decided to wage a war against me. She is using her mother, which I’ve had a very bitter divorce from, and a transgender friend whom I never would have met if it weren’t for my daughter’s suggestion and request. A friend whom I knew to be a transgender, before my son told me that he is, to try and write a TV show with a transgender as the hero.

I have never assaulted, raped, drugged or molested anyone. I have never belonged to any cigar club, and certainly was never there with “Jane”. (Out of restraint, I won’t reveal her real name).

This hateful campaign that my daughter is waging against me, and by her own admission only affirmed by her mother, is why this is happening to me. This is the same mother that the court has awarded sole custody to me over twice, even though I was a single father at the time. We all know family courts don’t award sole custody to a person who molests their children.

My daughter wants to destroy me.

When she first gave the story to the Huffington Post, back in February or March, they contacted my ex-wife and the mother to my three other children. She gave them the following statement:

“Dear Ms. Schulberg,
I received your email. Even though I am a very private person, I felt it was important to reply and present a very personal and a very different perspective about Rob.

As this is a personal matter between a parent and a child, a child who isn’t mine, I would remain respectful and not say anything negative about anyone.

However, as a person who was married to Rob, shared a home and children with him, I would tell you without any hesitation that I don’t believe Rob has ever done any of the things he is accused of, nor is he capable of such behavior.

As I said, I am the mother to my children with Rob, and I know how much he loves them, is protective of them and how much they love him in return. I have no fears or concerns about my children or myself for that matter, being with their father and trusting them with him.

This is the only statement I will make regarding this. I feel extremely sad for Rob and I know that he does not deserve the untrue and horrible accusations made about him.

Barbara”

As you can tell, in this email from March, my ex-wife responded to Ms. Jessica Schulberg, who is the co-writer of this Huffington Post article. I find it extremely unfair, unbalanced and clearly a story with an agenda, rather than a balanced story with all aspects of the journalistic research represented and with journalistic integrity.

I hope and pray that the thousands of people who know me, worked with me, and/or are simply fair minded people will see that this is an untrue and unsubstantiated story, which is out there due to hateful daughter and a mother/ ex-wife.

I still pray that my daughter can find peace and happiness, so she can release herself from this web of untruths and lies, and be able to live her life fully and hate free.”

What do you make of this developing report? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!