Selma Blair Says Director James Toback Threatened to Gouge Her Eyes Out

Selma Blair says a Hollywood director threatened to gouge her eyes out if she ever told anyone about an alleged encounter early in her career, an account that adds new detail to one of the largest sexual misconduct stories to emerge from the film industry.

Speaking on «The Jenny McCarthy Show» in an episode recorded before her recent arrest, the «Cruel Intentions» actress described filmmaker James Toback as «really, really scary» and said he «really put the fear of God in me in my early 20s.» She recalled that Toback pressured her to remove her clothes while performing a monologue, presenting the request as part of her acting development.

«I took my clothes off,» Blair said. «It was horrifying.» She said Toback instructed her to «do the monologue naked» despite her discomfort, and she described the experience as «really traumatic.» Blair explained that she initially believed the director was trying to improve her acting rather than making a sexual advance. «I was scared, and I was a people pleaser,» she said.

According to Blair, Toback later made disparaging remarks about her appearance, including comments about her hips. She also described the threat that she said kept her silent for years. «He said, ‘You know, if you ever tell a soul, I’ll gouge your eyes out with a Bic pen.’ And I believed it and I kept quiet.»

Blair’s allegations were among those examined in a 2017 Los Angeles Times investigation by reporter Glenn Whipp, which initially detailed sexual harassment accusations from 38 women against Toback. The women described encounters in which the filmmaker allegedly used promises of acting opportunities to initiate sexually inappropriate interactions. Blair was initially an anonymous source in that investigation. As more women came forward, the number of accusers grew to more than 300, according to subsequent reporting by the Los Angeles Times.

Blair said she ultimately decided to publicly identify herself after learning that Toback had disputed the women’s accounts. «When I found out he called all these women liars... I was like, oh no, I can’t stand for that,» she told McCarthy. «I will no longer be anonymous because he’s not going to do that.» In October 2017, Blair and fellow actress Rachel McAdams publicly detailed their allegations against Toback in a Vanity Fair interview.

Toback denied the sexual misconduct allegations reported by the Los Angeles Times at the time, saying he either had not met the women or did not recall their encounters. Reflecting on the experience years later, Blair expressed anger about the treatment she said she endured. «It was all awful. It was so upsetting and awful,» she said. She also offered a message to other women who might face similar pressure in the entertainment industry: «You don’t have to do it. You don’t have to do it.»

Earlier this month, Blair — who revealed publicly in 2018 that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis — was arrested and arraigned on two counts of second-degree assault stemming from accusations that she assaulted a nurse and a police officer after an incident involving crew members aboard a Delta Air Lines flight to New York City. Blair pleaded not guilty. The judge set bail at $20,000 cash, $60,000 bond or $60,000 partially secured bond. She is expected in court in January 2027.

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Derek Weston

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Derek Weston covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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