The owners of Lemmy's favourite bar, Los Angeles' iconic rock 'n' roll watering hole the Rainbow Bar & Grill, are being sued by two women who allege that they were negligent "in maintaining a safe environment for their female patrons", and “intentionally created a dangerous, sexualized, and hostile environment” for women customers.
The two women, identified only as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, are among a number of women who claim they were assaulted by former porn actor Ron Jeremy, a regular patron of the West Hollywood bar. The 70-year-old actor is currently in a state-run mental health hospital in California, after a judged ruled that he is "not competent for trial" and suffering from "an incurable neurocognitive decline." Jeremy - real name Ronald Jeremy Hyatt - has been charged with 30 sexual assaults against 21 women. The two plaintiffs are now arguing that the Rainbow was complicit in facilitating Jeremy's assaults.
According to Rolling Stone, the plaintiffs claim that Jeremy sexually assaulted them at the Rainbow on March 17, 2017, at a time when the venue’s management was "aware of multiple other sexual assaults" by Jeremy on the property but "continued to facilitate and ratify his illegal behavior." They allege that the porn star sexually assaulted them at the bar, and then directed them through an employee-only kitchen area, before following them into a private bathroom, where they were assaulted once again.
In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, Nadine Khedry, one of the attorneys who filed the complaint, claims that the Rainbow Bar & Grill had long “leaned into [Jeremy’s] patronage as a gimmick to attract customers,” arguing that the owners had fostered a “playground” in which he preyed on women, “all while turning a blind eye.” Michelle Nabati, the second attorney representing the two women, adds, “This was clearly not an isolated incident, but a pattern of abuse that Rainbow Bar & Grill permitted at the expense of their patrons’ safety.”
Rockin’ Horse Inc., owners of the bar, have yet to respond to the allegations in the lawsuit.
