Former child actor Jimmy Bennett breaks silence on his allegations against Asia, saying that his 'trauma resurfaced as she came out as a victim herself.'

AceShowbiz - The actor and musician at the centre of the Asia Argento sex scandal has broken his silence, explaining he was initially too "ashamed" to go public with his allegations.

Jimmy Bennett, 22, claims he was 17 when the actress sexually assaulted him in a Marina del Rey, California hotel room in 2013. The New York Times broke the story on Sunday, August 19 and Argento has since denied it, insisting she and her late boyfriend, chef Anthony Bourdain, agreed to settle with Bennett after he started harassing them for a pay-out.

But leaked photos of the young actor and Asia lying topless in bed together and texts sent by the actress appear to suggest they were more than close.

Now, the accuser has released his first statement, which reads: "I did not initially speak out about my story because I chose to handle it in private with the person who wronged me."

"My trauma resurfaced as she came out as a victim herself. I have not made a public statement in the past days and hours because I was ashamed and afraid to be part of the public narrative."

Last year (17), Asia was among the women who came out with assault allegations against disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, becoming one of the most prominent voices in the anti-harassment #MeToo movement. She claimed the movie mogul raped her in a Cannes hotel room in 1997. Weinstein has denied the accusation.

Argento released her own statement earlier this week, beg August 20, in which she denied Bennett's assault story, insisting she never engaged in a sexual relationship with him, and that she was "deeply shocked and hurt" by his "absolutely false" claims.

She has yet to comment on the bedroom photos of the couple and text correspondence that suggest they were more than just friends.

Bennett also reveals he was afraid to come forward at first, adding, "I didn't think that people would understand the event that took place from the eyes of a teenage boy.

"I have had to overcome many adversities in my life, and this is another that I will deal with, in time. I would like to move past this event in my life, and today I choose to move forward, no longer in silence."

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