Mia Goth has been accused of intentionally kicking a background actor in the head during the production of the horror sequel Maxxxine.
James Hunter claimed in a lawsuit filed on Friday 12 January that he was left with a concussion after the alleged incident last April.
The film is the third in a trilogy from director Ti West and studio A24, following X and Pearl (both 2022), all of which feature Goth in the lead role.
According to Variety, Mr Hunter states in his lawsuit that he was hired for three days of work playing the role of “Dead Parishioner”. During a night shoot on the first day, the background actor says he lay on the ground covered in fake blood while “enduring ants and mosquitoes”.
Goth was supposed to run, step over him, look down and keep running. In his suit, Mr Hunter alleges that on the fourth take, Goth came close to stepping on him.
Mr Hunter says he complained to the second assistant director and that his concern was passed on to Goth.
Mia Goth in Paris in 2023— (Getty Images for Miu Miu)
On the next take, Mr Hunter alleges that Goth deliberately kicked him in the head with her boot. When the scene was finished, Mr Hunter says he was in a bathroom when Goth came in and “taunted, mocked and belittled” him while daring him to do anything about it.
Mr Hunter says he then felt a pain in his head, and on his drive home he felt lightheaded and had to pull his car over twice. The following day, Mr Hunter’s casting agency informed him that he was not wanted back for the remaining two days.
According to the court documents seen by TMZ, West and A24 are also being sued alongside Goth for wrongful termination.
“In my opinion she deserved it, but at the same time, I don’t feel that it takes anything away from what she did. [An Oscar] would have just been a nice addition,” he said.
In a five-star review of Pearl for The Independent, film critic Clarisse Loughrey wrote: “West’s film is, in short, a masterclass in finding sympathy for the devil.
“The credits close on Pearl as its hero grins manically, staring unblinkingly into the camera for several, unbroken minutes. It’s an impressive feat. But what we’re really looking at is the ascent, fully unmasked, of a brand new horror icon.”
