Johnathon Schaech's account of Franco Zeffirelli's sexual harrassment

So THIS is the reason he doesn't have a career?

"Johnathon Schaech was 22 when acclaimed director Franco Zeffirelli"

Yawn. I know this appear uncaring, but he easily had the ability to knock Franco on his ass or at least shove him off and he claims he acted like a female rape victim who knew she couldn't escape and left her body mentally to get away from what was happening. I don't really believe it.

I wonder if Luca did this to Armie Hammer.

Getting groped by an old lech caused his drug, alcohol, and sex addictions. Sure.

[quote] I wonder if Luca did this to Armie Hammer.

I think Armie did it to Luca.

[quote]Getting groped by an old lech caused his drug, alcohol, and sex addictions. Sure.

I buy it.

Schaech was discussed when the article was first published. I am still horrified that so many DL-ers appear to dismiss his story, and the trauma it clearly caused. He obviously was not as mature, worldly and whorish at 22 as most DL-ers. I am glad he told his story, there are other young men who've been assaulted who need to hear it.

This is actually nothing to joke around about if you read his narrative. You can smell his fesr with every sentence. It was horrible what this old director did to him through. If this were a young lady everyone would be horrified. I hope he has a good therapist and has found some peace. He may not be the best actor, but is a beautiful human being. No one deserves to be traumatized like this.

Not to mention the fear of bring labeled difficult on your first film as the lead. I sometimes wonder if old creeps were tryna fick Alex Pettyfer and that's what made him have a complex earning the"difficult" reputation. I would have gladly done it but I have sick sexual fetish and liked to be degraded.

[quote] If this were a young lady everyone would be horrified

But because it's an old, flamboyant Italian queen preying on a young stud, it's hilarious!

Sorry, I don't make the rules.

I was molested and I never got over. Some would call the scenario hot. It wasn't by any means.

Not sure what was going through Johnathon's head but you think when it's happening they/he will kill you to keep you quiet.

Or as R9 points out blackballed by being difficult.

Well Alex Pettyfer was a child actor so I just assume he was molested and developed a personality disorder.

R10 The director is really queeny? I'm not familiar. He's mad effeminate and seems like he could never fight?

She knew.

[quote] He molested me in my bed. He put his hands in places that I couldn’t even imagine and he did things that I am not proud of.

So he's basically saying there were fingers up his ass.

A friend of mine was Schaech's neighbor in LA, years ago. She said he could've fucked her in her driveway, he was so hot.

Schaech was beautiful like a doll. Almost not human.

He aged quite well.

R16 i like hearing nice things about celebrities

Johnathan Schaech's ass and balls, just to give you an idea of what Zeffirelli was working with.

FUCK YOU OP. There’s nothing funny about sexual predators.

I tried to warn him...

Years ago he did an episode of Cold Case. His story took place in the 1950s and he played a biracial man who was passing for white. He was excellent.

R22, I saw that and he was.

I believe him and that it caused him trauma. There is an over the top quality to the report and some wording that i think were product of later analysis, but the jumble narrative actually makes it more believable, a too coherent tale would be more suspicious.

Having said this, i also understand how the full on dramatics and over the top phrasing and ‘places he didn’t imagine’ can also tempt one to an eye-roll at times.

[Quote] I buried it for 20-something years of my life and not until Rose [McGowan opened up], did I realize all these people have had these experiences.

The Rose MGowan effect.

Everyone’s a victim.

[quote] FUCK YOU OP. There’s nothing funny about sexual predators.

Go off to your safe space and play with kittens and Play-Doh, Wokey McWokeface.

Imagine FZ talking like Hedonismbot while seducing Johnathan

I'm sorry, but if you're a grown man and you let some old sleaze sexually abuse you and you don't fight back like a wildcat you may as well keep your mouth shut.

I was molested.

How does Johnathan pronounce Schaech?

It's pronounced "Shek".

Shesh.

I think people have difficulty understanding how vulnerable men are. Not all men are violent animals who just react with violence. Maybe if they feel they have a chance to defend themselves but that's not always an option. What we see is human beings naturally act submissive to those who they feel hold power. Freezing up and letting the aggressor have their way is a defense mechanism. If adults have childhood trauma, freezing and fawning is a common response to stress.

We are taught as children to not fight back from authority. And fighting back can be dangerous whether the aggressor is physically bigger or in the case of Zeffirelli, a powerful wealthy man with huge influence in Hollywood who could destroy your career or have you "silenced." Men may not be physically overpowered always but they can be sexually harrased, drugged and restrained and raped and threatened, blackmailed and extorted into having sex which is still rape.

[quote] We are taught as children to not fight back from authority.

From all accounts of how people - especially young children -challenge authority (starting with teachers and school officials) and disrespect authority, I would say that theory has not been in effect for decades.

R35 It's really dependent on the culture yes. That's why sexual abuse is worse in deeply religious or Eastern cultures.

I believe his story completely. He did similar things with other actors as well.

About "That Thing He Did" Sorry, but a 22 year old 6 foot tall guy can't fend off a drunk 75 year old guy? And a failed attempt at oral sex ruined the young guy's life for 25 years?

Christ how do some of you people sleep at night - what a depressing gathering of broken crones this thread is

“Please don’t rape me Signore Zeffirelli.”

I believe him 100%

^^^^ Weird this comment was meant for the Romeo and Juliet Hussey/Whiting thread. Sorry, no idea how my comment bounced over to here!

I believe him, too. Tom Cruise was also molested by Franco Zeffirelli when he was a teenager.

R43 I wonder if Zeffirelli's advances turned Tom off of his own sensuality, leading to Tom's brilliant idea of introducing celibacy into his marriage to Mimi Rodgers?

R44 It probably did. Old powerful perverts can seem like God like figures. Even when you aren't a pussy. I hope Zeffirelli dies in a jet fuel grease fire.

[quote]"I just lay there in bed. It felt like four hours but it was probably like 30 seconds.

THE HORROR!

[qoute]Sorry, but a 22 year old 6 foot tall guy can't fend off a drunk 75 year old guy?

It’s not about physical prowess; it’s about power. Zeffirelli had the power to make or break his career.

As for the twenty-five years of suffering… at some point one has to process it and get over it, and that’s on him.

^^gah! quote fail! apologies!!

R44 I dunno. Here is the quotation for your reference.

[quote] "My first movie was a hell of an experience," Cruise said with a frown. "I got one day's work on 'Endless Love,' and the director was always grabbing my chest. I wondered, what's going on around here? He did it a couple of times, and I walked away. It was all pretty strange. I was so naive, I didn't understand.

I'm glad more men are speaking up about being meat on a stick. Its so demeaning and helpless. And yes society does judge.

Yeah I’m guessing it doesn’t matter how old you are or how much bigger you might be, you probably just freeze up completely out of total shock and then feel overwhelming shame.

It’s quite sad.

He put his hands in places that I couldn’t even imagine . At 22 what places couldn't he imagine? And this is the 90s? He's lucky he wasn't around in the 70s.

I was raped more.

[quote] How does Johnathan pronounce Schaech?

"Sheck"

LOL. Such bullshit. Amazing some of the pearl clutchers here believe his dramatic retelling.

[quote]Actor Johnathon Schaech: I Was Molested

Back off, bitch! I'm working this corner.

R40, is that Johnathon Schaech on the left in his prime? Dayum.

No wonder men don’t come forward after being assaulted. Most of you need serious help.

I saw Tom Sawyer as a young teen. It was the holiday Easter show at Radio City Music Hall. When Johnny and Jeff showed their bare butts while swimming there was rending of garments of 6,000 people. They had therapists in the lobby to help people deal with the trauma of what they had just seen. People were screaming and cryng about abuse and exploitation of children. It was quite an ordeal. And this was continuous performances so it happened 5 times a day. Seven days a week. Six times a day during Easter week when children were on vacation.

He looks [bold]real[/bold] good:

[quote]He put his hands in places that I couldn’t even imagine and he did things that I am not proud of...

...like singing humiliating songs and dancing degrading dances?

He looked terrible a couple of years ago (deep, unflattering facial lines) but it looks like he's either healthier now or got some good work. I hope he can sell his new Daddy images and get some work.

[quote]like singing humiliating songs and dancing degrading dances?

YES! At nine past nine, he broke down the door and guzzled wine, he hogged nine cakes and oinked nine grunts and pulled nine kinds of dirty stunts!

Ugghh. Wrong link...sorry

Johnathon always had a superb body and of course his face was grogeous, but he was more of a model than an actor, though God knows he tried hard.

I'm surprised Martin Hewitt never made any comments about Zeffirelli. MH was an absolute beauty in Endless Love and can't imagine Zeffirelli could leave that alone.

I was 15 when groomed by someone who turned out to have a history of such activities. I met all of his friends and they'd get me into gay bars when I was 16 and 17.

While the experience was deeply traumatizing in many ways (he was an alcoholic and killed himself, and it took me decades to work through it all), being groped by gay men never disturbed me or left me feeling powerless. I'd politely tell them to stop it. And they did, unless they were drunk. If they were drunk, I'd just get away from them.

I know all kinds of things can leave a bad and sometimes permanent impact, but if every woman in the world can deal with inappropriate advances as some point, I can understand NOT feeling anything but objectified and insulted. That's not PTSD. Today, that's a normal consequence of being around people, as low as they are.

In other words, Mr. Schaech, why make noise now about it, considering your history since?

[quote] I am still horrified that so many DL-ers appear to dismiss his story, and the trauma it clearly caused.

Oh FFS: get over it, Mary Pearlclutcher

R65 I agree. He always reminded me of Antonio Sabato, Jr and Nick Scotti - gorgeous models but so-so actors.

If he was a woman or was an ugly and not famous man. People wouldn't dismiss this. People here hate when goodlooking men talk about their issues and get infuriated that they dare speak on facing sexual harassment and rape. It's because many gay men see handsome young men as sex objects that they are entitled to fuck. So when these men want to speak about their uncomfortable experiences, it destroys the sexual fantasy. Many people on here just want to live vicariously through Zeffirelli and these other old queens in Hollywood. Turn off the porn once and while. It's killing your brain cells

^^Speaking of dead brain cells....

[quote]If he was a woman or was an ugly

He *IS* an ugly!

I read an interesting story. The casting director for 'Endless Love' was looking for a tall and thin actor. But Tom Cruise's manager at the time somehow negotiated with them and managed to sent Cruise, who is never tall and thin. Cruise ended up getting a small half-naked role and was molested by Franco Zeffirelli.

It was interesting to me that the manager was Tobe Gibson, who is the mother of late Jody Gibson, aka. Hollywood Madame "Babydol"

Schaech is turning into quite the Daddy!

Was one of unimaginable places his taint?

Zeffirelli certainly tapped young Cruise's ass. That's how Tammy entered the movie business.