James Cameron speaks out on Eliza Dushku sex abuse claims while on the set of True Lies

JAMES Cameron has praised actress Eliza Dusku for being “brave” in speaking out about the alleged sexual abuse she suffered on the set of True Lies in 1994.

DIRECTOR James Cameron has spoken out about the alleged sexual assault of then-12-year-old actress Eliza Dushku on the set of his 1994 film, True Lies — saying if he had known about it, “there would have been no mercy.”

The allegations came over the weekend from the now-37-year-old actress, who says she was molested by one of the movie’s stuntmen, reports the New York Post.

Actress Eliza Dushku claims a True Lies crew member sexually assaulted her when she was 12. Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

“Obviously, Eliza is very brave for speaking up and I think all the women who are speaking up and calling for a reckoning now,” Cameron said while speaking at a Television Critics Association event in California over the weekend.

“I think that has been an endemic through human systems, not just Hollywood, but because Hollywood deals with women who are victims 10, 15, 20 years ago who are famous today, so they get to have a louder voice when they come forward,” the filmmaker explained. “So bravo to them for doing it. And I am glad Eliza did that.”

Eliza Duhku played Arnold Schwarzenegger’s daughter in the film. Picture: Supplied

Cameron added, “But had I known about, there would have been no mercy. I have daughters. There really would be no mercy now.”

It comes as Dushku’s True Lies co-star Jamie Lee Curtis penned a letter saying she was “shocked and saddened” by the claims.

Eliza Dushku’s True Lies co-star Jamie Lee Curtis says she was “shocked and saddened” by the actress’ claims. Picture: AP/Gus Ruelas

Curtis said that “many of us involved in True Lies were parents,” including herself, director James Cameron and co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger. “What allegedly happened to Eliza, away from the safety net of all of us and our purview is a terrible, terrible thing to learn about and have to reconcile.”

Dushku went public with her allegations in a lengthy Facebook post. The stuntman whom she accused, Joel Kramer, 60, has denied the claims.

Director James Cameron with his true Lies star, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Picture: AFP/Gabriel Bouys

“This is all vile lies,” he told Us Weekly. “I never molested this young woman, ever. Who in their right mind would do that and then still work with someone another six months or seven months or however long we had left to work together, wouldn’t that be a little weird?”

This story was originally published in the New York Post and is reprinted with permission.