White Lines star Nuno Lopes hits back at filmmaker A.M Lukas and says he is ‘morally and ethically’ incapable of drugging and raping them – after they launched suit accusing him of attack 17 years ago at Tribeca film festival
- Lukas filed a complaint in New York on Monday accusing the Portuguese star of rape
- Lopes said he declined to provide a monetary award and an apology before he was charged
- The American filmmaker claims they were attacked at a premiere party in 2006
White Lines star Nuno Lopes has hit back at filmmaker AM Lukas after they filed a civil lawsuit accusing him of drugging and rape at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.
The Portuguese actor and DJ, 45, told DailyMail.com that he is “morally and ethically” incompetent to face the allegations in a lawsuit filed against him on Monday by the American filmmaker – who uses those pronouns – in New York.
“My conscience is absolutely clear, I am morally and ethically incapable of committing the acts of which I am accused,” Lopes told DailyMail.com. ‘I would never drug anyone, and I would never take advantage of a woman who was incapacitated, either from too much alcohol or from the influence of other substances. Not today and not 17 years ago. I have the utmost respect and solidarity for all victims of any form of violence.”
Lopes further claimed that Lukas’ attorney recently sent him a letter detailing the allegations and demanding a monetary award and an apology, both of which he denied.
He added: “I am aware of the extremely serious consequences of this case and how my decision to reject a settlement and instead have this case heard in a public court affects my personal and professional reputation.’
Nuno Lopes poses with the Orizzonti Award for Best Actor for ‘Saint George’ during the closing ceremony of the 73rd Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande in September 2016 in Venice, Italy
Lukas claims Lopes spiked their drinks at a friend’s premiere party at Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Film Festival and took them to his apartment 17 years ago
Lukas says they were forced to take anti-HIV drugs and suffered PTSD after the attack
In their lawsuit, Lukas claims Lopes spiked their drinks at a friend’s premiere party at Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Film Festival and took them to his apartment 17 years ago.
The filmmaker, whose 2018 short film One Cambodian Family Please for My Pleasure screened at the Sundance Festival, says she had to take anti-HIV medication after the attack, which left her with PTSD when her memories of it started returning.
The lawsuit was filed in New York on Monday, just three days before the deadline for claims under the state’s Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily waives the statute of limitations for action against historical sex crimes.
Lukas said: “We cannot accept a world where perpetrators of heinous, inhumane behavior can live their lives in the open, with impunity and without social consequences, while their victims suffer in silence.
“Mr. Lopes was given the opportunity to take responsibility for his actions: to acknowledge what he did; to take it into account and to apologize. He immediately refused and communicated in no uncertain terms that he would never admit to any wrongdoing.”
Lukas said in the lawsuit that they remember their bodies feeling “unusually heavy” after they were introduced to Lopes.
Lukas has 430,000 followers on Instagram, has become a DJ and is one of the biggest stars of the Portuguese-speaking world
Nuno Lopes, 45, told DailyMail.com that he is ‘morally and ethically’ incompetent to face filmmaker AM Lukas’ allegations
They had few immediate memories of the night, other than Lopes holding up their limp legs and “raping them from the front as they drifted in and out of consciousness,” the lawsuit said.
Her other memories included “Mr. Lopes raping Lukas from behind while Lukas wondered where they were and who they were with, and Mr. Lopes masturbating over Lukas’ naked, motionless body.”
The lawsuit alleges that Lopes called them a cab the next morning around 7:30 a.m. and gave them $30 to pay for it, along with his phone number.
Shortly afterwards, they say they received a message from an unknown number that sounded like a man was masturbating and moaning while shouting Lukas’ name into the phone.
Lukas’ lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages.
Lopes, who has 430,000 followers on Instagram, has received acting credits in 52 productions and has won five Golden Globes in his native Portugal.