The Walt Disney Company is facing a new negligence lawsuit from former child actor Raquel Lee Boileau, who alleges she was repeatedly sexually abused by an unnamed adult Disney employee while filming the 2001 Disney Channel Original Movie The Poof Point.
Boileau was 14 years old during production, and the lawsuit claims Disney failed to protect her despite alleged warning signs that something was wrong. The case was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on August 21, according to reports from Deadline.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and no judicial finding of liability has been made against Disney. The unnamed individual accused in the lawsuit is identified only as “John Doe,” meaning his identity has not been publicly disclosed in the reported complaint.
Raquel Lee Boileau Accuses Disney of Failing to Protect Her
According to the lawsuit, Boileau alleges that an adult, middle-aged male employee involved in the production repeatedly sexually abused and harassed her. The complaint further claims that adults working on the production were aware of warning signs but did not take adequate action to protect the teenage actor.
“Disney’s set was not safe for children,”
the lawsuit states. The complaint also alleges that Boileau’s behavioral changes during production were noticed, but that Disney executives blamed her declining performance rather than investigating the circumstances surrounding it.
The legal action reportedly accuses Disney of negligence, including allegedly failing to properly supervise and protect a child actor. Boileau is seeking damages related to her alleged emotional and economic losses, along with other relief.
The Poof Point premiered on September 14, 2001, and followed two teenage siblings attempting to save their scientist parents after a time-machine experiment goes wrong. The Disney Channel film starred Boileau alongside Tahj Mowry, Mark Curry, and Dawnn Lewis. Disney’s official D23 archive confirms the film’s cast and release history.
Deadline reported that Disney had no comment when contacted about the lawsuit and the allegations made in the filing. The company therefore has not publicly issued a substantive response to Boileau’s claims at the time of writing.
Boileau’s attorneys, Doug Wigdor and Jane Kim, addressed the broader issue of abuse involving young performers in a statement reported by Deadline and People.
“Over the last decade, countless child actors have come forward to bravely share their experiences of abuse by adults in entertainment,”
the attorneys said.
They added that “this conduct is inexcusable” and argued that people and institutions involved, “directly or indirectly,” should be held accountable.
The case also comes years after Boileau continued working on Disney productions. She was previously part of the cast of The Proud Family and later reprised her role in the Disney+ revival The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
As the case moves through the legal system, the allegations remain claims made in a civil lawsuit. Disney may file a formal response, and any determination regarding the allegations or the company’s potential legal responsibility will ultimately depend on the evidence and court proceedings.
