Saturday Night Live alum Horatio Sanz, who’s also appeared on both seasons of Disney’s The Mandalorian, has been accused of grooming and sexually assaulting a young fan in a new lawsuit.
TMZ reported Thursday that Sanz has been sued by a woman in Pennsylvania, who alleges the actor and comedian “immediately started grooming her” when she was 15. At the time, she was running an SNL fan site. Sanz is alleged to have become flirtatious with her when they met in person, as well as pushed their online conversations toward topics of a sexual nature.
In May 2002, the suit further alleges, Sanz sexually assaulted the girl—who was 17 at the time—after getting her to consume alcohol at SNL-related parties in New York. A separate report from the Wrap’s Reid Nakamura adds that Sanz allegedly “intentionally touched” the plaintiff’s “sexual or intimate parts for the purpose of degrading or abusing” her, “and/or for sexual gratification.” The Black Monday actor also allegedly kissed her, groped her breasts and butt, and “digitally penetrated her genitals forcibly” and without consent.
Elsewhere, the lawsuit claims the plaintiff developed a problem with drugs following the alleged assault. Sanz is also accused of having admitted to his accuser in 2019 that he had sexual interactions with her online when she was underage, allegedly apologizing for his behavior in text messages.
In addition to Sanz, both NBCUniversal and SNL Studios production company have been named in the suit, which seeks damages.
In a statement to Complex, an attorney for Sanz—who was an SNL cast member for eight years—said the claims in the lawsuit are “categorically false” and were preceded by an alleged demand for money.
“This individual’s claims about Horatio Sanz are categorically false,” attorney Andrew Brettler told Complex. “However often she repeats her ludicrous allegations or tries to rope in other high-profile names to generate media attention, they will always be false. Before filing this lawsuit anonymously, she demanded $7.5 million in exchange for her silence. We, of course, refused and will vigorously contest these totally meritless claims.”
