Former child star Raquel Lee sues Disney over alleged rape
Former child star Raquel Lee has sued Disney, alleging that an ex-employee raped her when she was 14 while working on the 2001 film The Poof Point. Her negligence lawsuit claims grooming, alcohol, and on-set sexual harassment, and names director Neal Israel among those she says urged her to trust the man. Disney declined to comment.
Key Takeaways
- Former child star Raquel Lee alleges an ex-Disney employee raped her at age 14 while filming the 2001 movie The Poof Point.
- Her negligence suit claims she was groomed, given alcohol, and assaulted in Salt Lake City and on a flight to California.
- Lee says Disney and director Neal Israel told her to bond with, get close to, and trust the employee.
- Disney declined to comment; Lee later returned for Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (2022–2026).
What does former child star Raquel Lee’s lawsuit claim?
According to Variety, Lee—known for childhood work on The Amanda Show and The Proud Family—filed suit Friday accusing Disney of negligence over alleged rape by a former employee when she was 14.
The complaint describes a “middle-aged, male employee who was involved in the filming” of The Poof Point as having groomed, sexually harassed, and assaulted her. It alleges he gave her alcohol and assaulted her while the cast stayed in Salt Lake City and again on a flight back to California.
Lee further claims Disney and director Neal Israel told her to “bond with, get close to, and trust” that employee.
What workplace conditions does the suit describe on set?
The filing asserts Disney “authorized sexual harassment on set,” citing sexualized jokes, commentary, fondling, and excessive touching around a children’s production. It says the employee regularly made sexually explicit jokes on set and that no one from Disney tried to stop that behavior.
Lee alleges she was often exhausted, intoxicated, hungover, or vomiting on set because of the alleged abuse and alcohol, and that Disney did not provide medical care. The suit also says multiple Disney executives labeled her “out of control,” blamed her for the movie going “haywire,” said she “need[ed] Jesus,” and claimed she had “a demon inside her.”
After The Poof Point, Disney allegedly canceled another role for Lee. For more TV and streaming developments, see our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
How does this fit Lee’s later Disney Channel work?
Years later, Lee returned to voice her Proud Family character on the Disney Channel revival Proud Family: Louder and Prouder from 2022 to 2026. She also appeared in the documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, where she discussed her experience as a Black actor on The Amanda Show.
The lawsuit puts that later Disney Channel work in a new light: former child star Raquel Lee, long known from kids’ TV, is now seeking accountability from Disney over alleged rape and negligence tied to a 2001 production. Disney’s only public response so far, per Variety, has been to decline comment.
The claims remain allegations unless proven in court.