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Famed producer, director and screenwriter Salim Akil is facing some serious #MeToo charges.

The husband of Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane creator Mara Brock Akil, is being accused of domestic violence and breach of contract by former mistress Amber Dixon Brenner.

According to Jezebel, in papers filed on November 20, 2018, Brenner, an actress and screenwriter, claims she had a lengthy “physically and sexually abusive relationship” with Akil that occurred during his marriage to Mara.

Brenner is also suing the Black Lightening co-creator for breach of contract accusing Akil of taking her 2015 script Luv & Perversity in the East Village about their relationship and using part of that script for his OWN show Love Is without her consent, knowledge and compensation. (Remember now, Love Is is a show about how Mara and Salim met and fell in love.)

Jezebel reported that Brenner’s lawsuit paints a disturbing picture of Akil and their relationship, which included the following:

  • Multiple claims of physical and sexual abuse i.e. forcing her to perform oral sex on him which ended with him urinating in her mouth.
  • Outside his house on Martha’s Vineyard, she alleges that “he proceeded to stick three fingers up her anus and started lecturing her.”
  • Multiple instances of him slapping and strangling her during sex.
  • Him taking sexual pictures of her without her consent.
  • Bouts of verbal abuse threatening that if she ever got pregnant he would dispose of her in a desert if and said if they were married and she cheated on him, “he would stick her hand in a hot skillet of grease.”

To explain why she endured the abuse for so long, her lawyer said it was complicated and she was afraid ending that relationship would blacklist her from working in Hollywood, given Akil’s power and prominence in the industry.

“The reasons why Plaintiff did not leave Akil after the very first of these instances occurred are complicated and the subject of significant resulting therapy for Plaintiff. Plaintiff believed that she loved Akil. She also looked up to him as a prominent motion picture television director in some of the same entertainment circles where Plaintiff socialized. Akil likewise would at times dangle potential acting roles and professional collaborations before Plaintiff. However, what we do know, is that these acts caused significant emotional and physical harm to the Plaintiff and were abusive; i.e., Akil intentionally or recklessly caused or attempted to cause bodily injury, or placing Plaintiff in reasonable apprehension of bodily injury.”

Brenner is suing for compensatory damages, emotional distress, attorney fees, and punitive damages, Jezebel noted. The amount she is requesting is undisclosed to the public.

Spokespeople for OWN and CW, two networks that house his two of his shows, have yet to release a statement about this lawsuit or discuss Akil’s future with them. In addition, Mara has yet to release a statement of her own about her husband’s pending lawsuit.

This is a developing story and we will provide updates as they become available. 

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