Former child actor Raquel Lee Bolleau has filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Co., alleging that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a male Disney employee while working on the 2001 Disney Channel movie ‘The Poof Point’. 

Bolleau was 14 when the alleged abuse took place during production in Utah. Now 39, she claims the unidentified employee, described in the lawsuit as a middle-aged man more than twice her age, repeatedly raped, sexually assaulted and harassed her over several weeks.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday, also accuses Disney of failing to protect her despite alleged warning signs that the abuse was taking place on set.

Bolleau alleges abuse during filming

According to the complaint, the man identified as “John Doe” was a Disney employee involved in the production of ‘The Poof Point’. Bolleau alleges that he supplied her with alcohol and encouraged her to drink before taking her to his hotel room, where she says she was sexually assaulted.

The lawsuit claims the alleged abuse also occurred on the film set. Bolleau alleges that Doe repeatedly touched her inappropriately, rubbed his genitals against her and made sexually explicit remarks about her body.

“Mr. Doe’s sexual abuse of Ms. Bolleau was apparent to the adults on Disney’s set,” the suit states. “Disney repeatedly failed Ms. Bolleau.”

The complaint further alleges that cast and crew members could see or hear the alleged behaviour, including sound technicians working with the actors' microphones, but no one intervened.

Lawsuit claims Disney failed to protect child actor

Bolleau alleges that the working environment was unsafe for children and that Disney violated child labour protections by failing to shield her from the alleged abuse.

The lawsuit claims that she was encouraged by the film's director and Disney's dialogue coach to develop a relationship with Doe and spend time with him.

According to the complaint, Doe also allegedly told Bolleau, “You’re old enough. You can handle it.”

The lawsuit alleges that Bolleau's behaviour and performance changed significantly during production. She was reportedly exhausted and, at times, intoxicated, hungover or vomiting. She also allegedly struggled to remember her lines and concentrate on her work.

Bolleau claims Disney executives subsequently criticised her and her mother over the change in her performance. The lawsuit alleges that executives “attacked, blamed, and threatened” the pair rather than addressing the circumstances surrounding her behaviour.

Alleged assault continued after filming

The complaint alleges that the abuse did not end when filming in Utah was completed.

During the flight back to Los Angeles, Bolleau claims Doe insisted that she sit beside him in first class while her guardian travelled in economy. She alleges that he then sexually assaulted her during the flight.

The lawsuit says Bolleau returned home physically and mentally unwell following the production. It alleges that she subsequently abandoned her ambition of becoming an actress and has dealt with severe trauma for years.

She also claims that a role she had been expected to have in another Disney production, ‘Web Girl’, was cancelled because of concerns about her performance.

Bolleau's career and ‘Quiet on Set’ appearance

Bolleau began working as a child performer and appeared in projects including ‘The Amanda Show’, ‘Malcolm & Eddie’ and ‘Double Dare 2000’. She later voiced characters in Disney's ‘The Proud Family’ franchise, including Olei in ‘The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder’ and 'Nubia Gross in the original series and movie. Her other credits include ‘Real Husbands of Hollywood’ and ‘Stan the Man’.

She also appeared in the 2024 documentary ‘Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV’, which examined allegations about working conditions and the treatment of young performers on Nickelodeon productions. In the documentary, Bolleau discussed her experiences as a Black child actor on The Amanda Show, but did not publicly detail the allegations contained in her latest lawsuit.

Her legal action comes amid renewed scrutiny of the safeguards available to child actors in the entertainment industry. Measures introduced in recent years include additional on-set protections and advocates for young performers, although concerns remain over how consistently such safeguards are implemented.