Actress Asia Argento has denied an allegation that she sexually assaulted musician and actor Jimmy Bennett when he was 17.
A report in The New York Times published on Sunday (August 19) claimed that the Italian star made a settlement of $380,000 to the actor who alleged she had sexually assaulted him in a California hotel room in 2013 when he was 17.
The legal age of consent in the US state of California is 18.
Argento has now released a statement denying the sexual assault allegation.
"I strongly deny and oppose the contents of the New York Times article," she said.
"I am deeply shocked and hurt by having read news that is absolutely false. I have never had any sexual relationship with Jimmy Bennett."
The 42-year-old actress said that she and Bennett had been "linked in friendship only" and said that Bennett made the allegation after she made her own allegations of sexual assault against producer Harvey Weinstein last October. Weinstein has denied all claims of non-consensual sex made against him.
In the statement, Argento alleged that Bennett "unexpectedly made an exorbitant request of money" which was handled privately by her late partner, the chef Antony Bourdain.
She said she and Bourdain "decided to deal compassionately with Bennett's demand for help".
The statement concluded: "This is, therefore, the umpteenth development of a sequence of events that brings me great sadness...
"I have therefore no other choice to oppose such false allegations and will assume in the short term all necessary initiatives for my protection before all competent venues."
Bennett starred as Argento's on-screen son in The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, the 2004 film which the Italian actress also directed.
