A woman suing former “SNL” star Horatio Sanz asked for permission Tuesday to add Jimmy Fallon, Lorne Michaels and Tracy Morgan as defendants, arguing that they enabled Sanz to misconduct.
The woman, identified only as Jane Doe, claims Sans “made her” back when she was a teenager a fan of the show. She also claims Sans kissed her, touched her, and attempted to digitally hack her at a party in May 2002, when she was 17 years old.
She filed suit in August 2021 under state law that opened a two-year “review window” allowing victims of child sexual abuse to file claims that would otherwise be barred under the statute of limitations. Recently, New York City amended its own law to create a one-year review period, allowing defendants to sue anyone who authorizes such behavior.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff and her teenage friends regularly attended post-SNL parties from 2000 to 2002. The lawsuit alleges that Fallon and Sanz had been drinking with her at these parties, and that Fallon once interrogated her about her age, and she replied that she was a junior in high school . She also met Michaels at a party, who gave her advice on pursuing a writing career, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges that Morgan rented a venue for a later party in May 2002, where Sanz allegedly touched her against her will.
Sans’ attorney Andrew Brettler denied the claim, saying the woman sought $7.5 million in damages before filing the lawsuit last year.
The original complaint was filed by attorney Jeffrey B. Fitz also claimed that 18 NBCU employees either knew or should have known about the sexual misconduct and grooming of Sans, including Fallon, Morgan, and Michaels, as well as several other “SNL” cast members.
NBCUniversal filed a motion to dismiss the complaint in April, arguing that the network was not responsible for Sanz’s out-of-hours behavior.
“Employers do not have a public duty to protect other persons from the possibility of sexual assault by their employees,” the network’s lawyers wrote.
Doe appointed a new attorney, Susan Krumiller, in June. Krammler notified the court of her intent to amend the complaint, making the dismissal motion illogical. Krammler is seeking a September 8 hearing for permission to file the amended version, adding Fallon, Michaels and Morgan as defendants.
An NBC spokesperson said the network would once again seek to have the lawsuit dismissed.
“Regardless of Jane Doe’s changing narratives, NBC intends to renew its motion to decline,” the spokesperson said.
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