Asia Argento Accuses Director Rob Cohen of Sexually Assaulting Her During Filming of XxX

Sipa via AP Images Asia Argento

Asia Argento, a #MeToo activist and one of Harvey Weinstein's most high-profile accusers, has accused The Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen of sexual assaulting her in 2002, which Cohen denies.

Argento, whose allegations against Cohen appear in her autobiography Anatomy of a Wild Heart which will be released in Italy later this month, addressed the allegations during recent interviews with Italian media outlets, according to Variety and The Wrap.

Argento claimed she was drugged and raped by the director during the filming of the 2002 film XxX, allegations which Cohen has denied.

"He abused me, making me drink GHB, he had a bottle of it," she told newspaper Il Corriere della Sera, the outlets reported. "At the time, I really didn't know what it was. I woke up in the morning naked in his bed."

"I discovered later, speaking with a friend who opened my eyes about that substance [GHB]," she said on a subsequent appearance on the talk show Verissimo, according to Variety. Argento also confirmed the allegations to Variety.

A spokesperson for Cohen told PEOPLE in a statement that the director "categorically denies" the allegations.

"Mr. Cohen categorically denies Asia Argento's accusation of assault against him as absolutely false," the spokesperson said in a statement. "When they worked together, they had an excellent working relationship and Mr. Cohen considered her a friend, so this claim dating back to 2002 is bewildering, especially given what has been reported about her in recent years."

The director was previously accused of sexually assaulting a woman while she was unconscious, according to a 2019 Huffington Post report. The woman, who chose to remain anonymous and was referred to in the report as "Jane," alleged that the assault took place in 2015 after she attended a business meeting with Cohen.

At the time, Cohen's lawyer released a statement to the outlet denying any wrongdoing.

In 2019, Cohen's daughter, Valkyrie Weather, also accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a child. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Cohen denied the allegation as being "categorically untrue."

Meanwhile, in Argento's interview on the Italian show Verissimo, the actress said that she decided to come forward with her allegations "since two women have spoken against [Cohen], including his daughter," Variety reported.

In 2018, Argento was accused of sexual assault by actor and musician Jimmy Bennett, allegations which she denied.

Argento reached a financial settlement with Bennett who was reportedly paid $380,000 by Argento and late boyfriend Anthony Bourdain, according to a 2019 report by The New York Times.