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Will there finally be justice?
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Mar 11, 2020
In 2016, news outlets reported a major bombshell about a rumored Hollywood child sex ring, and, if what they had been hinting at turned out to be true, it would shake America to its core.
Actors Corey Haim and Corey Feldman both spoke separately about their experiences being raped and molested by men in Hollywood during their child star days. Before his death in 2010, Haim talked publicly about allegedly being raped by the mysterious figure implicated, at first, by Radar.
The website (owned by The National Enquirer, just FYI) had alleged that the "kingpin" of this nefarious organization was a man leading a double life.
On the surface, he was a respected family man and a household name, but for decades, he has been a pedophile who is responsible for the sexual assaults of many children.
In their own coverage, Jezebel reminded readers that Radar had broken legitimate news in the past. They were the first to post a blind item about Charlie Sheen's HIV status just two weeks before Sheen himself announced he was HIV positive.
As if this story wasn't making your skin crawl already, this abuser's dark side is apparently an open secret in Hollywood. Neither Feldman nor Haim would reveal their abuser's identity for fear of legal action being taken, now that the statute of limitations is up on his alleged crimes.
However, that has changed with the release of Feldman's groundbreaking documentary, (My) Truth: The Rape of 2 Coreys, which just premiered this week and finally revealed the name of Haim's abuser.
In the documentary, Feldman claimed that it was actor Charlie Sheen who had assaulted Haim, who was only 13 at the time. With this shocking new claim, here are a few things to know so far.
1. In a video from their 2007 reality show The Two Coreys, Haim and Feldman opened up about the abuse they suffered.
In the video, Haim had even implied that Feldman still enjoyed a friendship with the man who raped him.
2. In his book Coreyography, Feldman opened up about the first time Haim was assaulted: during the filming of the 1986 film Lucas.
“Within hours of our first meeting, we found ourselves talking about Lucas, the film he made in the summer of 1985, the role I had wanted for myself,” Feldman wrote.
“At some point during the filming, he explained an adult male convinced him that it was perfectly normal for older men and younger boys in the business to have sexual relations, that it was what all ‘guys do.’ So they walked off to a secluded area between two trailers, during a lunch break for the cast and crew, and Haim, innocent and ambitious as he was, allowed himself to be sodomized.”
3. In an interview, Feldman opened up about his traumatic experiences as a child.
He said that stars like Haim and himself were passed from one pedophile to another.
Feldman says that Haim was first raped at the age of 11, and that Feldman himself started getting assaulted when he turned 14. "This person uses intimidation and threats as a way to keep people quiet. And all these men were all friends," said Feldman.
He also mentioned that the man "is still prominently in the business today" and, according to Radar, "the closeted perv has never come out as gay — and even has children of his own."
4. In 2020, Feldman revealed Charlie Sheen to be Haim's alleged abuser.
The audience at the documentary's premiere was shocked when it came to the scene that had named Charlie Sheen as Haim's alleged abuser. Sheen had been 19 at the time, while Haim was only 13.
Sheen doesn't appear in the documentary, but both Feldman's ex-wife and fellow actor, Jamison Newlander, back up the claims. In the film, they both said that Haim had told them about the alleged incident, and that it was known throughout Hollywood circles but ignored.
However, Haim's mother, Judy, has had a tense relationship with Feldman for years and disagrees with his claims about Sheen. The documentary shows an interview clip with her where she alleges that her son's abuser was not Sheen, but another actor, Dominick Brascia.
Feldman has always believed that Haim's mother was out to ruin his reputation, while she claims that Feldman has spoken out only to further his own career. However, at the premiere, Feldman announced that he was using his platform as an opportunity to speak for those who couldn't.
He said, “The most important topics are the ones you hear about the least. When you don’t hear about it, is when you should worry. I didn’t want to do this [film]. But this is the shindig of a lifetime. This has literally been a lifetime in the making.”
5. Sheen denies the claims.
Shortly after the documentary release, Sheen gave a statement about the accusations against him. He said through his publicist, “These sick, twisted and outlandish allegations never occurred. Period. I would urge everyone to consider the source and read what his mother Judy Haim has to say.”
The actor's publicist also revealed that there were emails sent to him from Haim's mother, countering the claims Feldman made against Sheen.
Pedophilia in Hollywood is a serious problem, and not just in cases that had remained "secret" for years like this.
Bob Villard, the former manager of actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Toby Maguire, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge when countless illegal photographs of young boys were found in his possession in 1987. Composer Fernando Rivas has written music for Disney, as well as child pornography he then distributed on the web. Casting director Jason James Murphy is a registered sex offender who once kidnapped and molested an 8-year-old boy.
Other actors who have made the leap from child stars to A-Listers are trying to use their clout to shine a light on this epidemic.
In a 2016 interview, Elijah Wood mentioned that while his mother protected him as a child, he was aware of the problem, saying, “Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organized. There are a lot of vipers in this industry, people who only have their own interests in mind. There is darkness in the underbelly. What bums me about these situations is that the victims can’t speak as loudly as the people in power. That’s the tragedy of attempting to reveal what is happening to innocent people: they can be squashed, but their lives have been irreparably damaged.”
There is a myth that men who survive sexual assault will go on to be offenders themselves, but it is just that: a myth, and a foul one.
The vast majority of survivors of child sexual abuse will never grow up to harm anyone or commit sexual abuse themselves. But this doesn't change the fact that, for whatever reason, the men in positions of power in Hollywood who actively harm children are still being protected.
It has to stop. And, hopefully, with Feldman's recent revelations and bringing it all to the light, justice can finally be served for any children who were victims of abuse.
If you are a survivor of sexual abuse or violence, hope and healing are possible. Please visit MaleSurvivor.org, 1in6.org, or RAINN for more information and support.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime.