Michael Pitt, best known for his role as Jimmy Darmody on HBO’s highly lauded Boardwalk Empire, was reportedly arrested last week. His charges include sexual abuse, criminal sexual acts, assault, and strangulation. The indictment, filed in Brooklyn, details incidents that allegedly took place between 2020 and 2021.
Based on court filings, the allegations against Pitt describe a pattern of severe abuse. In addition to exploiting children, in April 2020 he allegedly sexually assaulted an unidentified individual “by forcible compulsion.” The next August, he’s accused of forcing someone else to perform oral sex on him. These grave allegations would be followed by a pattern of behavior that is equally as disturbing.
Then in June 2021, Pitt was accused of intensifying his attacks, smashing the person’s face with a cinderblock. In August 2021—only two months after—he reportedly attempted to strangle a former partner. He attacked a second victim with a “four by four.” These incidents are just the basis of the criminal charges against him.
Pitt received national fame as an actor for his two-season run on “Boardwalk Empire.” As an up-and-coming gangster, he road along the meteoric rise of Buscemi on board the Sopranos train. His career includes appearances in NBC’s “Hannibal” and earlier roles in “Dawson’s Creek,” as well as films such as “The Dreamers” and “Last Days.”
That case is still being prosecuted by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. Even in light of the seriousness of the charges, Pitt has entered a not guilty plea. He was released pending his next court date in June.
As this case develops, it will certainly receive a great deal of press attention—with Pitt’s high-profile status as one of the entertainment industry’s biggest stars ensuring it. How this legal case plays out will determine whether the accusations are proven or refuted and whether he has a future career.
“Unfortunately, we live in a world where somebody like Mr. Pitt — an accomplished professional who would never so much as contemplate these crimes — can be arrested on the uncorroborated word of an unreliable individual. In reality, this baseless claim is suspiciously raised some four or five years after the alleged incident, from a time when the two parties were in a completely consensual relationship. We have already uncovered exonerating evidence and this case will be dismissed.” – James Goldman
As this case unfolds, it will undoubtedly draw significant media attention, given Pitt’s high-profile status in the entertainment industry. The legal proceedings will determine the validity of the accusations and the future of his career.
