When Jerry Lewis died in 2017 at the age of 91, he was known worldwide as a brilliant
slapstick comedian.
But an explosive new report alleges that behind the scenes, the beloved 'King of Comedy' was
sexually harassing his co-stars.
Vanity Fair spoke to a number of Lewis's former female co-stars about his off-set behavior.
Karen Sharpe, who had previously acted with Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, played the
comedian's love interest in the 1964 film The Disorderly Orderly.
"Right, that spaghetti sauce sure has gotten to me."
"Julie, wait a minute!
Julie—"
She told the magazine that Lewis insisted that she model her costumes for him in his
office, then sent away his guards, saying,
"He grabbed me.
He began to fondle me.
He unzipped his pants.
Quite frankly, I was dumbstruck."
"And, before I knew it, he was all over me."
According to Vanity Fair, Sharpe rebuffed him, which made him angry, and from then on,
she claims Lewis wouldn't even speak to her unless they were filming.
Other actresses tell similar tales.
Hope Holiday, who worked with Lewis in The Ladies Man, reveals that Lewis invited her
to his dressing room for a discussion, then locked the door and said,
"Y'know, you could be very attractive but you wear pants all the time.
I have never seen you in a skirt.
You have nice legs and you've got good boobs."
"He said, 'you've got nice boobs.'
He said, 'You've got lovely legs.'
He said, 'That's what— That's what I like to see.'"
Then, she reports, he pleasured himself in front of her.
Jerry Lewis had a reputation for being, quote, "an insecure egomaniac with an enormous sex
drive," according to Vanity Fair.
In the pre-MeToo movement era, Lewis was among many movie stars who harassed and sexually
assaulted their female co-stars, knowing the women wouldn't dare to speak up for fear of
destroying their careers.
He was still at it as recently as 2014 when he was nearly 90.
Lewis and Amy Schumer were doing a Friars roast together when he allegedly tried to
push her down so that he could play-act having sex with her.
Sexual harassment isn't the only allegation leveled at Lewis.
Lainie Kazan recalls that the actor's harsh comments about her body and nose made her
feel unworthy and insecure for decades, saying,
"He really came on to me, but he [also] wanted me to feel like gravel.
Who wants to take the innocence away from young girls and make themselves feel important
by crushing them?"
Actress Connie Stevens reports that Lewis could be cruel to people who didn't appreciate
his humor, and outside of his brutal antics on set, Lewis also displayed cruelty towards
those he claimed to love the most.
Allegedly, Lewis was an emotionally abusive father to his six children and two wives.
In multiple accounts from his children over the years, they claimed that Lewis was cold
and cruel throughout their lives — and even cut his children out of his will before his
death in 2017.
"He wanted nothing to do with me."
When Lewis' first wife, Patti Palmer, filed for divorce from her husband, ending their
36-year marriage, she cited his constant infidelity as the reason for their split.
"It was not an Ozzie and Harriet life."
Dean Martin, Lewis' longtime acting partner, went decades without speaking to the actor.
In his memoir, Dean & Me: A Love Story, Lewis admitted to being a bully and egomaniac at
that point in his life, and that his antics contributed to the destruction of their friendship.
Though the pair eventually reunited, their relationship was never the same as it was
when they were starring in films together.
The Daily Mail also reports that Lewis was notorious for having an explosive temper and
violent outbursts — despite attempting to give the public impression that he was a charitable,
socially-conscious man.
Actor Elliot Gould told the Daily Mail,
"He blatantly tells you on network TV that he is the epitome [ih-PIT-oh-me] of the socially
conscious man, a great humanitarian.
[...] Actually, he's one of the most hostile and unpleasant guys I've ever seen."
"Have you ever thought about retiring?"
"Why?"
"Was there never a moment–”
"Why???"
The actresses interviewed by Vanity Fair appreciate being able to speak their truth after so many
years.
Hope Holiday added,
"Now women feel they have a place, and if we keep fighting and open our mouths and let
them have what they deserve, then we've got a chance.
We won't be treated like secondhand nothings."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.
Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline
at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).