Former child actor Raquel Lee Bolleau has sued The Walt Disney Company, alleging the studio failed to protect her from repeated sexual abuse by an adult employee while she filmed a Disney Channel movie at age 14. The lawsuit arrives amid renewed scrutiny of child-star protections, a subject TheGrio examined through childhood stardom and former “All That” actor Angelique Bates’ account of abuse while working as a young performer.
Bolleau, now 39, filed the civil negligence lawsuit Aug. 21 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, NBC News reported. The complaint says the alleged abuse occurred during production of the 2001 Disney Channel Original Movie “The Poof Point,” which was filmed in Salt Lake City.
The complaint identifies the alleged attacker only as “John Doe,” describing him as a middle-aged Disney employee who was more than twice Bolleau’s age. She alleges he supplied her with alcohol and repeatedly sexually assaulted her during production, including at a hotel, and later on a flight back to California.
Bolleau also alleges Disney personnel separated her from her on-set guardian and encouraged her to spend time with the employee. She claims inappropriate touching and comments occurred in view of adults on the production, but no one intervened.
Her lawsuit says Disney noticed abrupt changes in her behavior and performance once the alleged abuse began. Instead of investigating, Bolleau claims executives blamed her, described her as “out of control” and canceled another planned role.
“Disney repeatedly failed Ms. Bolleau,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit seeks damages for alleged economic losses, emotional distress and punitive damages, along with legal costs. It does not specify a total amount. NBC News said a Disney representative could not immediately be reached for comment.
Bolleau later had voice roles in Disney’s “The Proud Family” franchise and appeared on Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show.” She also participated in the 2024 documentary series “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” where she discussed her experience as a Black child performer but did not disclose the allegations now made against Disney.
Her attorneys, Douglas Wigdor and Jane Kim, said people who directly or indirectly enable abuse of child performers must be held accountable. The lawsuit remains pending, and the unnamed employee has not been publicly identified.
Mentioned in this article:DisneySexual Assault Allegations
