‘Terrifier‘ Actress Files Suit Alleging Breach โof Contract, Sexual Harassment & Gruelingโ Conditions
Los Angeles, CA – Samantha โCorcoran, an actress who portrayed Dawn in โthe โขoriginal 2016 horror film Terrifier,โ 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 โขcontract, sexual harassment, and unsafe working conditions.The complaint details โa disturbing account of โher experience during the โfilm’s production and its aftermath.
The โlawsuit claims Corcoran was initially paid โฃ$100 per day for her role as Dawn, a character โfamously subjectedโข toโข a graphic vivisection scene. She worked under a special SAG contract intended โฃfor ultra-low budget productions, leading herโฃ to believe she would receive additional compensation โifโ the $35,000 filmโค achievedโ success.โ However, the complaint states that โฃroyalty payments, initially โขprovided โfor a short period after the film’s release, became “sporadic andโ dwindled to amountsโ nowhere near commensurate withโ theโฃ revenues generated” as the Terrifier series gained popularity.Falcone allegedly โtoldโ her “didn’t keep records.”
The suit further alleges deeply troubling on-set conditions.Corcoran claims she enduredโ long hours in freezing temperatures within condemned buildings, frequently enough lacking basic amenities likeโ heat and bathrooms. The “practical effects”โข utilized in the film, laudedโฃ for their visceralโ impact, reportedly includedโ the application of prosthetics containing actual rat feces and real duct tape over her โคmouth.
Perhaps the most disturbing โฃallegations involve a body โคcast process. The complaint states โขCorcoran 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 โขpainful removal process. The lawsuit furtherโ claims that while she was immobilized, Falcone took “numerous still photographs of Corcoran’s nude bodyโฆwithout her โฃconsent.”
The case also challenges the legality of a nude scene,โ arguingโฃ Leone and producersโฃ never obtainedโ her written approval โคas requiredโ by SAG guidelines. Corcoran alleges continued unauthorized โuse โof her nude image for commercial purposes, contributing to ongoingโข profits for those involved โฃwith Terrifier.โ
the lawsuit details theโ physicalโข toll of the production, specifically citing the ten-hour shoot for the sawing scene, whichโข allegedly โresulted in cranial swelling โขand eardrum damage due to โblood pooling in โher 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 norโฃ Thornton have publicly commented on Corcoran’s lawsuit. Production on โข Terrifier 4 hasโค notโข yet begun, and aโ 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.
