The producer and writer Gary Goddard has denied “unequivocally” allegations made by ER star Anthony Edwards that Goddard molested him.
In a powerful Medium essay, Edwards, who called Goddard “a sick father figure” to he and his friends, wrote: “I met Goddard when I was 12, and he quickly became a dominant force in my life. He taught me about the value of acting, respect for friendship, and the importance of studying. Pedophiles prey on the weak.
“My father, who suffered from undiagnosed PTSD from WWII, was not emotionally available. Everyone has the need to bond, and I was no exception. My vulnerability was exploited. I was molested by Goddard, my best friend was raped by him — and this went on for years. The group of us, the gang, stayed quiet.”
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Twenty-two years ago, Edwards wrote, he “happened to run into Gary Goddard at an airport. I was able to express my outrage at what he had done. He swore to his remorse and said that he had gotten help. I felt a temporary sense of relief. I say temporary because when Goddard appeared in the press four years ago for alleged sexual abuse, my rage resurfaced.”
Therapy had helped Edwards to heal, he wrote in the Medium essay, and to finally tell his mother what had happened to him.
“Gary first met Anthony more than 40 years ago. Gary was a mentor, teacher and a friend to Anthony, which makes this story all the more disturbing to him,” a statement sent by Goddard’s spokesperson Sam Singer to The Daily Beast read.
“As to the allegations that Mr. Edwards made in his post today, I can unequivocally deny them on Gary’s behalf.
“Gary played an important role in helping start Anthony’s acting career and acted as his personal manager. He has nothing but the greatest respect for Anthony as a person. Gary is saddened by the false allegations.”
Singer also noted that the 2014 complaint against Goddard, which was referenced by Edwards, alleging teen sex abuse was voluntarily dismissed by plaintiff Michael Egan III.
The statement sent to The Daily Beast by Sam Singer, Goddard’s spokesperson, read in full:
“I am responding on behalf of producer and writer Gary Goddard to allegations posted and made today by actor Anthony Edwards on the website Medium.
“Gary first met Anthony more than 40 years ago. Gary was a mentor, teacher and a friend to Anthony, which makes this story all the more disturbing to him. As to the allegations that Mr. Edwards made in his post today, I can unequivocally deny them on Gary’s behalf.
“Gary played an important role in helping start Anthony’s acting career and acted as his personal manager. He has nothing but the greatest respect for Anthony as a person. Gary is saddened by the false allegations.
“The post by Anthony, as well as many of the news stories today reference a legal claim made against Gary approximately four years ago regarding sexual harassment. The complaint was demonstrated to be fraudulent as it was completely fabricated, and ultimately withdrawn by the complainant and his attorneys.”
