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Home / Entertainment

Kate Beckinsale accuses massage healer of sexual assault

Bang Showbiz
29 Sep, 2024 09:27 PM4 mins to read

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Kate Beckinsale has accused a "trauma healer" of sexual assault after attending three sessions at his clinic in August. Photo / Getty Images

Kate Beckinsale has accused a "trauma healer" of sexual assault after attending three sessions at his clinic in August. Photo / Getty Images

Warning: mentions sexual assault.

Kate Beckinsale has accused a massage “healer” of “sexual assault and battery”.

The British actress, 51, filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department accusing “somatic trauma therapist” Nick Abramovic of committing the offences during an appointment on August 7.

The pair have been embroiled in a public battle over an unpaid bill of US$2700 ($4260) for three sessions Beckinsale attended over a two-week period, with the actress claiming she refused to pay due to the alleged assault.

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A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale)

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Abramovic, who runs the West LA massage spa the Bionic Method, emphatically denies the claims and no charges have been filed, the Daily Mail reports.

“I just want to be clear: I did not assault her at all. I categorically deny these allegations,” he told the New York Post.

“In the five years since I’ve run Bionic, I have never had this type of complaint from any individual that I have treated. Over the years, I have treated hundreds of women without incident. I’m not trying to defame Kate at all.

“It’s weird to me that this is happening. I’d like to think this is just a misunderstanding.”

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Abramovic describes the Bionic Method as a massage that’s designed to “release emotional and energetic blockages”, in which psychosomatic practices are used to heal physical pain.

Beckinsale has referred to her alleged sexual assault on Instagram by sharing an image with the caption, “Boys will be held accountable for their f****** actions.” She tagged @survivorsofsexualassault in the upload.

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A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale)

Beckinsale also screenshotted Yelp reviews from previous clients of Abramovic’s that claimed he “targeted” women and “something felt immediately off and weird” when they visited his building.

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A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale)

Abramovic, meanwhile, alleges Beckinsale never intended to pay him for her treatment, claiming on his Instagram: “Over a two-week period Kate Beckinsale scheduled [US]$2700 worth of sessions with me, promising to pay us later.

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“But after her last session she completely ghosted us.”

Abramovic told Page Six that clients of the Bionic Method remain “completely clothed” during the sessions, adding: “I will touch people in non-invasive points; it’s all external ... I’m not rubbing my hands up and down. It is very much a stretch therapy, sound therapy and breath-work. It’s very above board.”

When Beckinsale walked into the Bionic Method for the first time on August 2, Abramovic claims he offered to leave a camera on during their session, as people often like to watch the recording back to reflect on their experience.

However, the Serendipity star allegedly refused the recording, citing privacy concerns.

“[Abramovic] did not ever offer to record the session. That statement is not truthful,” Beckinsale’s lawyer, Marty Singer, told Page Six.

“I believe it is clear that the claim that my client fabricated a police report to avoid paying money is a malicious, false and defamatory statement,” Singer added.

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“The belief that my client would file a false police report and wind up having to pay more money for my legal services than pay this person is the most ridiculous concept I’ve ever heard in my career as an attorney.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale)

Abramovic said he was served with a legal notice informing him of the criminal allegations only after he hit out at Beckinsale on social media.

“We’re looking into a defamation case as this appears to be a retaliatory act after Mr Abramovic demanded payment from Ms Beckinsale,” his attorney George Shohet said.

In May, Beckinsale revealed she had suffered a Mallory-Weiss tear - a tear of the tissue of the lower oesophagus - earlier in the year, which had resulted in her being hospitalised for six weeks.

The actress sparked concerns after she shared multiple photos on her Instagram of herself in hospital earlier in 2024. While at the time it was unknown why the star had been admitted, she later confirmed she had suffered “a severe flare of mast cell disease” - promoted “by stress, shock and grief” following the death of her stepfather Roy Battersby.

In January, Beckinsale was rushed to hospital after presenting an award at the Golden Globes.

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- Additional reporting by NZ Herald.

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