What To Know About The Allegations Against SNL Alum Horatio Sanz
A “look-back window,” part of a new rule in New York City law, allows the alleged victim to bring this civil case against Sanz and NBC Universal in March 2023.
Evan Agostini via Associated Press
New details have emerged surrounding allegations against former Saturday Night Live star Horatio Sanz.
A civil lawsuit filed with the Supreme Court in August 2022 said Sanz publicly abused a 17-year-old at an SNL cast party in the early 2000s, according to Rolling Stone.
This lawsuit comes as an amendment to a complaint that was filed against Sanz and NBC in 2021. In the complaint, a Jane Doe, who was 15 at the time, alleges she used an online message board and fan website she created to get the attention of SNL cast members in the early 2000s.
According to the complaint, as reported by Insider, the teen attended several tapings of the show, as she was an aspiring cast member. She was also introduced to Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz, who, allegedly, repeatedly commented on her fan site and recognized her when she attended tapings.
Then the duo allegedly began to invite the teen to cast parties held at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
According to Variety, Jane Doe alleged Sanz groped her and attempted to digitally penetrate her at a party in May 2002. She was 17 years old.
The new suit claims Jimmy Fallon, Lorne Michaels, and Tracy Morgan enabled the sexual assault allegedly committed by Sanz.
In the complaint, Jane Doe alleges that Fallon helped supply alcohol to her while she was a minor; Michaels met her and gave her advice about a writing career at one of the parties she attended underage; and Morgan rented out the space where she was allegedly groped by Sanz.
A lawyer for Sanz has denied the allegations saying the woman previously sought $7.5 million before filing her initial suit last year, Variety reported. In it, Jane Doe alleges 18 NBC Universal employees knew about Sanz’ alleged grooming and sexual misconduct.
In a statement to Variety, an NBCU spokesperson said, “employers owe no general duty to protect third-persons from the possibility of sexual abuse by their employees.”
“Regardless of Jane Doe’s changing narratives, NBC intends to renew its motion to dismiss,” the spokesperson continued in their statement.
A recent amendment to the New York City’s Gender Motivated Violence Act, allows victims of gender-based violence to file civil lawsuits against abusers and enablers, Deadline explained. These changes provide a two-year “lookback window” for claims that would typically be unable to be tried because of statute of limitations.
Jane Doe’s lawyers said her new claims will be made when the lookback window opens on March 1, 2023.
