Canadian ex-model Sera Johnston has accused actor Timothy Hutton of rape, after going public with her allegations on Monday.
The story has turned into a “he said, she said” scenario after he vehemently denied the claims. Sera insists that she is s survivor looking to share her truth. Timothy’s lawyers claim she is nothing more than a liar looking for a handsome payout.
Who is Sera Johnston?
Sera claims the famous actor raped her when she was only 14. She grew up in Vancouver, where she began modeling and acting at the age of nine. One of her first acting appearances was in the local stage production of Miracle Worker, playing Helen Keller.
Working on showbiz was a family affair. Sera’s mother worked as a set designer. Her stepfather was a stunt double. They both worked on the film Iceman, which is the movie that brought Timothy to Vancouver in 1983.
After the alleged rape, Sera threw herself into modeling even though she didn’t love it. She also reportedly began dating older guys, one of whom she claims was actor Réal Andrews, as a way to deal with what allegedly happened.
In her early twenties, Sera dated model Vernard Goud. According to Buzzfeed, she told him Timothy raped her as a teen. Their relationship was short-lived.
Sera continued to spiral. She reportedly became an exotic dancer and entered into several toxic relationships, including two marriages that ended in divorce.
“Every single thing that I really knew that I didn’t want to do or that wasn’t fulfilling or good in any way I decided to do. And everything that, you know, was wholesome or decent or whatever, I just dropped.
“It almost completely rearranged me. That was my own punishment to myself for getting raped. Especially because of who raped me,” Sera said in her interview with Buzzfeed.
Coming forward 36 years later
Sera, who is now 50, said she told her mom about the alleged rape after it happened, but a psychologist advised them not to go public. It would be the word of a teenager versus a big Hollywood star, Sera’s mom told the website. Sera also reportedly told a couple of friends, including her high-school boyfriend, and her former stepfather.
It wasn’t until the #MeToo movement that Sara says she felt comfortable speaking her truth. Even though it had been decades since the rape, she claims it shaped her life, and Sera, who goes by the name Lauren, says she now wants to be heard.
“I’ve just lived a very small, little life, especially since I’ve been divorced. I’ve been very quiet, you know. But something in the back of my mind has just constantly been going. You need to tell people this,” Sera shared.
Timothy Hutton denies rape accusations
Hutton’s lawyers have released a statement denying any wrongdoing on Timothy’s part and accusing Sera of trying to extort the Hollywood star.
“There was no encounter of any kind here, and certainly no sexual assault. The woman featured in the BuzzFeed article, Sera Dale Johnston, has tried to extort millions of dollars from Tim over the last two years. The article was published only after those extortion attempts failed,” lawyer Tom Clare said in a statement to The Post on behalf of the actor.
The statement further shares Timothy is prepared to clear his name, as well as file a defamation lawsuit against Buzzfeed, Sera and anyone else involved in trying to discredit him.