'The Last of Us' fame Ashley Johnson, six other women allege physical abuse by Brian Foster
Oct 07, 2023
Los Angeles [US], October 7 : 'The Last of Us' fame Ashley Johnson has filed a lawsuit against Brian Foster, her ex-boyfriend and former 'Critical Role' castmate, alleging "domestic violence, sexual battery, assault, stalking, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil rights violations."
According to Variety, the suit was filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, with seven female plaintiffs -- six named, including Johnson and her sister, Haylie Langseth, and one Jane Doe -- alleging misconduct by Foster over "the last decade" that was "fueled by chronic abuse of drugs and alcohol."
Johnson alleged that her relationship with Foster began in October 2012 and he moved into her home soon after. By 2015, she alleged that "on a nearly daily basis," he would go into "a violent fit," which included "breaking glass, punching through glass doors, breaking a gate, slamming doors, and getting in Johnson's face screaming obscenities at her.
In the lawsuit, Johnson alleged that Foster's behaviour worsened in 2019 due to her work to support them financially and that his drinking increased after he was fired from Critical Role in 2021.
The lawsuit stated Johnson and Foster broke up in 2023, but that following the split, he began carrying around a black duffel bag and ammo case, which contained "two airsoft guns modified to appear as real guns and a garotte which is a strangulation device." The suit also alleged that Foster groped Langseth, Johnson's sister, in front of Johnson and Langseth's children, and that he subjected several other women, several of whom worked on Critical Role, to "inappropriate sexual advances" -- including "groping them without consent" -- after falsely claiming he and Johnson were in an open relationship.
Foster worked alongside Johnson at Critical Role, the popular web series chronicling an ongoing campaign of Dungeons and Dragons.
In a statement to Variety, a representative for Critical Role mentioned the company had "no knowledge of any of (Foster's) alleged behavior."
"It is heartbreaking to us that some of our colleagues went through this, and we're committed to supporting them however we can. We are working with our HR team and our staff directly to ensure our workplace and culture live up to all of our expectations," the statement read.
