Rob Cohen has been behind some popular action franchises, including launching two major Vin Diesel vehicles with The Fast and the Furious and xXx. However, the filmmaker's name is now in the news for a very different reason, as one of the co-stars on xXx has accused Cohen of assaulting her during the production of that film.
The allegations of what happened between Rob Cohen and Asia Argento during the filming of xXx are apparently part of Asia Argento's forthcoming book, Anatomy of a Wild Heart, but she recently made them public in an interview with Italy's Il Corriere della Sera. Argento is quoted (via Vulture) as saying that the director drugged her to the point that she had no memory of what happened until the next morning. According to Argento...
It’s the first time I’m talking about Cohen. He abused me, making me drink GHB, he had a bottle of it … At the time, I really didn’t know what it was. I woke up in the morning naked in his bed.
In a separate interview Asia Argento says that she did not come forward following the event because she wasn't entirely sure what had happened. However, this is not the first allegation that has been made against Cohen, and the actress says that it was because others have come forward that she decided to do the same. Argento was the female lead in the first xXx film, where she played Yalena, a Russian intelligence agent who had been undercover as the girlfriend of Yorgi, the target of Vin Diesel's character. Diesel's Xander Cage and Yelena end up working together to take down Yorgi.
For his part, Rob Cohen has strenuously denied the allegations. In a statement on the director's behalf, a spokesman said...
Mr. Cohen categorically denies Asia Argento’s accusation of assault against him as absolutely false. When they worked together, they had an excellent working relationship and Mr. Cohen considered her a friend, so this claim dating back to 2002 is bewildering...
Both Rob Cohen and Asia Argento have found themselves on the defensive side of similar allegations in the past. Cohen's daughter, Valkyrie Weather, has previously accused him of molestation, charges Cohen has denied. Asia Argento was removed as a judge on the Italian version of The X Factor after allegations she assaulted a then 17-year-old California man became public. She reportedly paid a six figure settlement in that case.
Certainly, these allegations are powerful to say the least. It's unclear if this will be the beginning of legal action against Rob Chen, or if Asia Argento simply wanted to take her allegations public and let that be the end of it. While this took place many years ago, we've seen a lot of women finally come forward after years of silence as part of the MeToo movement. Argento herself is also one of several actresses who launched that movement in making allegations against former studio head Harvey Weinstein.
