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In a lengthy interview with entertainment
industry website Deadline.com, published late on Tuesday,
Douglas denied that he had masturbated in front of a woman who
worked for him about 32 years ago.
"This is a complete lie, fabrication, no truth to it
whatsoever," Douglas said.
The accusation by the unidentified woman has not been published
but Douglas said he had been informed by his attorneys in
December that The Hollywood Reporter and other publications were
investigating her claim.
"I felt the need to get ahead of this," Douglas, 73, told
Deadline.
"I had the choice of waiting for a story to come out, one that
will clearly get picked up by other newspapers and magazines,
and then I have to sit there and try to defend myself."
The double Oscar-winner is the second celebrity to get his
version of events out before being publicly accused of sexual
impropriety in a scandal that has rocked Hollywood and led to
many men being fired or cut out of projects.
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock posted a social media
message last month saying he was "part of the problem," saying
he had in the past been accused of rape and had settled a sexual
harassment lawsuit.
Douglas told Deadline he had been informed by his attorney that
the woman also accused him of using coarse language around her,
but not to her, and claimed that he had "blackballed" her in the
industry after firing her.
The actor denied blackballing the women but admitted using
"colorful language" in conversations with friends in his home
and office.
Douglas said he supported the #MeToo movement by those breaking
their silence over past sexual harassment, and that he had the
support of his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and his
children.
Representatives of the actor did not respond on Wednesday to a
Reuters request for further comment.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant)
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