Former Child Star Raquel Lee Files Lawsuit Claiming Disney Failed to Protect Her from On‑Set Sexual Abuse

In a recent court filing, former child actress Raquel Lee alleges she was repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted by a Disney employee while filming the 2001 Disney Channel original movie The Poof Point. The complaint, which does not identify the perpetrator, alleges that Disney was negligent.

Lee, then 14, says a middle‑aged male employee involved in the film’s production repeatedly groomed and assaulted her. The incidents occurred multiple times in his hotel room in Salt Lake City during the production and later on a flight back to Los Angeles. She adds that the employee frequently whispered explicit and harassing remarks into her ear on set and used hugs to get close to her.

The complaint alleges that the abuse occurred in plain view of the cast and crew and could be heard by sound technicians, yet Disney took no action. It further claims the employee routinely made explicit jokes and comments about minors, including remarks about Lee’s body, and that she was often separated from her on‑set guardian for most of each day.

Lee says her performance deteriorated and that Disney executives criticized her, describing her behavior as “out of control,” claiming the film went “haywire,” saying she “needed Jesus,” that she “had a demon inside her,” and alleging she engaged in sexual acts with a crew member at age 14. The lawsuit states that Disney threatened and ultimately cancelled her role in an upcoming project.

Lee is represented by Doug Wigdor, a well‑known plaintiffs’ attorney specializing in employment and sexual‑misconduct cases. He has previously represented Cassie Ventura against Sean “Diddy” Combs, Nafissatou Diallo, the hotel housekeeper who accused former IMF chief Dominique Strauss‑Kahn of sexual assault, and several women who alleged misconduct by Harvey Weinstein.

Disney declined to comment on the litigation. Wigdor and his colleague Jane Kim issued a statement: “Over the past decade, countless child actors have bravely come forward to share their experiences of abuse by adults in entertainment. As former government prosecutors, we urge the industry: this conduct is inexcusable, and anyone involved — directly or indirectly — must be held accountable.”

The complaint asserts that Lee’s case is part of a broader pattern in which Disney allegedly enabled a sexual predator to target and abuse vulnerable victims. Wigdor’s filing references a series of reported predatory misconduct allegations spanning decades that are linked to the company.

After The Poof Point, Lee later recurred as a voice‑over artist on the Disney Channel animated sitcom The Proud Family and returned for its Disney+ revival, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. She also appeared on FX’s Snowfall in 2019.

Lee took part in the 2024 docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, reflecting on her experience as a Black performer on Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show. She did not raise her The Poof Point allegations in the series, which gained cultural prominence for highlighting alleged misconduct toward child actors. After its release, she said Drake Bell’s remarks about his own on‑set sexual abuse were “retraumatizing” for her.

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