‘Terrifier‘ Actress Files Suit Alleging Breach of Contract, Sexual Harassment & Grueling Conditions
Los Angeles, CA – Samantha Corcoran, an actress who portrayed Dawn in the original 2016 horror film Terrifier, has filed a lawsuit against director Damien Leone, producer Steven Falcone, Dark Age Cinema, Fuzz on the Lens Productions, and the “Art the Clown” trademark holder, alleging breach of contract, sexual harassment, and unsafe working conditions.The complaint details a disturbing account of her experience during the film’s production and its aftermath.
The lawsuit claims Corcoran was initially paid $100 per day for her role as Dawn, a character famously subjected to a graphic vivisection scene. She worked under a special SAG contract intended for ultra-low budget productions, leading her to believe she would receive additional compensation if the $35,000 film achieved success. However, the complaint states that royalty payments, initially provided for a short period after the film’s release, became “sporadic and dwindled to amounts nowhere near commensurate with the revenues generated” as the Terrifier series gained popularity.Falcone allegedly told her “didn’t keep records.”
The suit further alleges deeply troubling on-set conditions.Corcoran claims she endured long hours in freezing temperatures within condemned buildings, frequently enough lacking basic amenities like heat and bathrooms. The “practical effects” utilized in the film, lauded for their visceral impact, reportedly included the application of prosthetics containing actual rat feces and real duct tape over her mouth.
Perhaps the most disturbing allegations involve a body cast process. The complaint states Corcoran was required to lie nude on plywood covered in fast-drying liquid silicone. The process was allegedly performed incorrectly, causing the silicone to harden and “essentially glued Corcoran to the plywood,” requiring a painful removal process. The lawsuit further claims that while she was immobilized, Falcone took “numerous still photographs of Corcoran’s nude body…without her consent.”
The case also challenges the legality of a nude scene, arguing Leone and producers never obtained her written approval as required by SAG guidelines. Corcoran alleges continued unauthorized use of her nude image for commercial purposes, contributing to ongoing profits for those involved with Terrifier.
the lawsuit details the physical toll of the production, specifically citing the ten-hour shoot for the sawing scene, which allegedly resulted in cranial swelling and eardrum damage due to blood pooling in her head.
This legal action follows recent controversy surrounding the treatment of other Terrifier actors, including Lauren lavera and David Howard Thornton, earlier this year. Neither LaVera nor Thornton have publicly commented on Corcoran’s lawsuit. Production on Terrifier 4 has not yet begun, and a distributor has not been secured.
Adding a particularly unsettling detail, Corcoran’s death is currently featured as part of the walk-through “Terrifier” attraction at Halloween Horror Nights.
