Actor Michael Pitt, best recognized for his role on the hit TV show "Boardwalk Empire," is facing serious accusations following an indictment that charges him with sexual assault, as well as other counts of violence, including choking and assault with a weapon. According to ABC7 New York, Pitt has been arrested and subsequently charged in Brooklyn with sexual abuse, criminal sexual act, assault, and strangulation. The allegations, which are said to have occurred between 2020 and 2021, have been denied by Pitt who has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Amidst the legal turmoil, Pitt has been able to secure his release until his next court date in June after posting a $100,000 bail. The indictment details an April 2020 incident where Pitt is alleged to have forcibly compelled an unnamed individual to sexual contact. Another instance cites the actor to have forced oral sex on the victim and assaulted them with a four by four piece of lumber in August 2020. NBC New York expands on these claims, alleging that the victim was Pitt's ex-girlfriend and that attacks occurred at the actor’s home in Bushwick. The indictment also accuses Pitt of choking his ex-girlfriend and attacking her with a cinder block size-wise twice in June 2021.
The Brooklyn District Attorney's office, led by Eric Gonzalez, has kept comments succinct and strictly to the allegations listed in the indictment. On the other hand, Pitt's defense has been vocal in denying the claims. Jason Goldman, Pitt's attorney, insists there's exonerating evidence which he believes will lead to a dismissal of the case. "Unfortunately, we live in a world where somebody like Mr. Pitt — an accomplished professional who would never so much as contemplate these crimes — can be arrested on the uncorroborated word of an unreliable individual," Goldman stated in a text message to The Associated Press, implying that the actor is being falsely accused, as NBC New York reported.
Goldman also finds it suspicious that the allegations have surfaced years after the dated time frame of the alleged incidents, at a time when Pitt and the accuser were involved in a consensual relationship. Recent reports have also surfaced detailing past unrelated incidents involving Pitt, such as a 2022 altercation in Brooklyn where the actor was arrested for allegedly punching a man, as well as a public outburst that led to his hospitalization under police escort in New York.
Pitt, a New Jersey native, achieved early fame with his role in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" in 2001 and later drew attention with his performance in the film “Last Days," inspired by the life of Kurt Cobain. His success continued with his portrayal of Jimmy Darmody in "Boardwalk Empire," a performance that was part of the ensemble which won Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2011 and 2012 for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series. The show itself won a Golden Globe for best drama series in 2011, as noted by NBC New York.
